Please Vote!

Can I bug you one more time!!! Regardless of my meltdown in the previous post I still really really really want to win that new Ford Fusion Hybrid and trip to the American Idol Finale, so I know I have asked you to do it before and the link I gave you didn't work BUT I think I have figured it out this time so will you Please, Please, Please take 5 minutes to follow the directions below to VOTE for me. Plus remember you will be submitted in a drawing to win a cash prize just for voting. Right now there are 14 houseparties that have over 100 votes with one having over 800 votes and I have 7 votes.

So here is how I think it is going to work.

• I am going to go over to the house party blog and REsend all of you who gave me your email the invitation or a message.


• From your email you "should" find a link back to my houseparty, which "should" have an oval button with the words "VOTE HERE" on it.


• (I warn you, and apologize to you, you might have to register with house party before you get to vote, I don't know that for sure though. No charge for registering, just annoying if you Have to do it.) Update: So it looks like only registered guests- those that created a house party account- are getting the "Vote Here" button. FRUSTRATION!!!!! I am sorry for all the trouble.... thanks in advance.


• Once you click "Vote Here" just fill out the voter page and hit submit.


• Then, if you don't mind, please have all your family members who have their own email address to also submit a vote.


• Lastly, if you could forward your email evite with the link to any of your friends who might help me out..... well that would be just great.


• IF the evite email does not work 1) please let me know 2) if you could email me your name, address, email, and date of birth and a comment that says "I give Niki T. permission to submit a vote on my behalf because the darn houseparty website is messed up." that should hold up in a court of law if the legitimacy of your vote was ever questioned. Note: You can find my email under "my profile or the about me" tab on my sidebar. Thanks again.

So PLEASE VOTE!!!! Oh and for just a little more motivation... I leave you with this....

This is a picture of "my car's" rear view mirror. It fell off the window this weekend and is now sitting on my kitchen table.............. I'd really like to win that new car!

Confession: I cleared a spot off the kitchen table so I could take a picture of the mirror without you knowing about the clutter, but I just noticed that if you look at the reflection in the mirror you can see all the junk piled up on the other side of the table. That's what I get for trying to hide the truth...

Ford AI Updates

Ok ladies let me level with ya- You know the day I found out I was going to be an official Ford American Idol House Party Hostess and I announced to the World that I was going to have a HUGE Party and I even used words like "Off da Hook" to describe the event......... Well it turns out that was the Adrenaline Talking. Once the adrenaline wore off from the initial excitement, reality set in and I remembered I have never thrown an "off da hook" kinda party before. If you will remember from past posts, I was a real nerd in high school so I have never even BEEN to a "off da hook" party before. To be honest I have no idea what "off da hook" even means!!!!

Can I just tell you that when I even start to think about the party my heart starts racing and I become one inch away from a full blown panic attack. I have NEVER been a procrastinator before in my life BUT I find that I keep trying to ignore the fact that the party date is getting closer and closer with each passing day. It's like subconsciously I keep thinking if I don't think about it, it will all go away. Therefore guess what? I have NO PLAN!!! That's right the President of the DRS support group has NO PLAN. I had Colby's Imagination Movers Birthday Party planned out 6 months in advance for eight 5 year olds but I have NOTHING, NOT A ONE IDEA, for this party with over 90 invites in less then 10 days!!! Calm down.....breathe.......

So with all of that on the table can I just say "There will STILL be an official Ford American Idol Watch Party" AND you are ALL absolutely still invited I just can't promise it will be "off da hook." If I know me you better just go ahead and plan on the party hanging neatly and securely "ON da hook" complete with a label.....sigh, anyways.... What I'm thinking about doing, if your ok with it, is renting a pavilion at a park and having a PREwatchparty cookout. I have already got the "Teal Grill" reserved so you can bring your own meat OR I bought a gazillion hot dogs and buns the other week at Kroger (there the red ones that look really gross but anyways....) and I'll provide the sides and fixens. And we can just eat and fellowship from around 5pm-6:45ish and then all those that want to can caravan over to the OFFICIAL watch party which I imagine will be at UCA- that is IF Kris makes it to the top 2! If Kris doesn't make it into the top 2, I will have to come up with a plan B. Ford has sent me party packs for 15 so I will think of a fun way to give those away. I have also talked to Smith Ford and I believe there will be a Ford Fusion at the party for everyone to check out and/or test drive. I sure hope your not all terribly disappointed and that you will still consider stopping by. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a chance to visit and in some cases meet all of you. It could be a DRS reunion!!!! Anyways.... I promise I will have all the details worked out by next Friday- and who knows maybe one of my "cool" readers will have some ideas on how to coolify the party to make it indeed- OFF DA HOOK!
I better put up a Mr. Linky just in case.

Donna's Debut

Note: I don't really think I'm Donna. I have DRS NOT Schizophrenia. I just thought it was a catchy title. Anyways.....

Now is that a flattering shot or what? Love the face. Love the hair...... In my defense this video was shot just a couple of hours before a huge storm so the humidity was kicking. Also I would like to say that I don't think I really sound like that is real person.... but maybe those that know me can weigh in on that topic. Anyways..... Roll it!

Coming Soon...

At noon today I have scheduled the Ford American Idol HouseParty Video to post on this blog because I never was able to get it to work on the partyblog. Nothing special about it, it just took effort, so I hated for it to go to waste. It is about 12 minutes long so I warn you of that. Anyways...

Then sometime today I am going to try to figure out how to tell you how to vote for my house party. So I would love it if you could check back in later today to help me out with your vote.

Later

Kris Mania

Yesterday was total Kris Allen Overload! Our whole town went absolutely Krazy!!!! Let me just take you on a play by play of our day in Kris Nation.

But first let me set the scene. Everywhere you drive in this little town your going to see Kris Allen signs up in the windows, store fronts, markees, banners, you name it. I tell you I drove down the road yesterday and I saw a "Welcome Home Kris Allen" and I just kinda teared up. It's like I feel I know the guy. I don't know? Anyone out there with me on that one. Anyways...

Soooo to get ready for the BIG homecoming parade and concert I decided to go get the family Kris Allen t-shirts..... easier said then done! I started my quest for t-shirts 3 days ago but everytime I went to pick one up I was told they were out but to come back at X time because they will be getting more. Well yesterday morning I called Ace Hardware to see if they had any t-shirts and sure enough they did so I loaded up the boys and headed over only to be told they just ran out but to come back at noon. Well I had to work at noon so I didn't get back over to ACE until 1:30ish and by this time there was a line stretched outside the door of people awaiting the next batch of t-shirts due to arrive by 2pm. A guy was handing out tickets that guaranteed you first dibs on a t-shirt once they arrived. I took my golden ticket and decided to go home for a few minutes to get the boys a snack rather then wait in the long line with 2 hot, sweaty, fidgety, thirsty boys. After our quick break at home we once again loaded up (3rd times the charm, right?) into our 2 door car and drove back to ACE. We then proceeded to wait in this line for another 45ish minutes!!!

But we GOT the t-shirts..... or I should probably say "I" got the t-shirt! They didn't have kids shirts and I called DH and he said he didn't want one. So yep, pretty much I tortured my poor children and everyone else in line around my poor children to get me, myself, and I a pink Kris Allen t-shirt. Moving on....

Once home from ACE, Cohen went down for a long overdue nap and I proceeded to make Kris Allen posters to hold up at the parade/concert. Can I just say I worked really hard on these posters and even used glitter on one. I was sure the glitter would catch the eyes of not just Kris but also the American Idol TV crew thus guaranteeing me a spot on national television next Tuesday Night. So of course this thought led to me practicing my wave, scream, and overall look for my big debut. Plus I cleverly placed a cross on the glitter poster so I of course had to plan out what I would say if Tom Cruise happened to be a fan of Kris and he decided to fly himself and the rest of the Cruise clan to Conway for Kris' hometown visit. All of this while Cohen napped and Colb watched a DVR'd episode of Micky Mouse Clubhouse.

Well.... once we got to the Parade/Concert we were told we couldn't carry the posters!!! What a waste of glitter!! Oh well.....

I woke my sleeping baby from his slumber so we could secure a nice spot for the festivities due to start at 5pm. Have you ever woken up a sleeping baby?!? I don't recommend it. Needless to say he was not a happy camper and he made sure to let me know he did not appreciate me interrupting his MUCH NEEDED nap the WHOLE rest of the evening.

Soooo after waiting over 1.5 hours in the hot sun with 2 hot, sweaty, fidgety, thirsty boys Kris Allen finally hit the stage. Or at least I think he did, for all I know it could have just been a prerecorded voice because all I saw was.....

But regardless, the voice I heard sounded "Kick Awesome!!!"

I think from the picture below CoCo must have been a little confused.... it looks like he thought it was an Adam Lambert Home Coming!

I promise my children normally wear shirts in public. It was just really hot. All in all it was an exciting day. I did feel rather abusive to drag my children around town and in the hot sun BUT I think come Tuesday Night we will all be glad we got to take part in this historic event.

Learning Time

Ok girls, Mark it in the history books, we actually did some REAL learning time this week. We are 99.9% sure Colby is going to kindergarten next year and so he prefers to call learning time "Kindergarten Time" but anyways... we gotter done.

While in Las Vegas I picked up a little Kindergarten Readiness Activity Book for Colby at the bookstore and so Monday and Tuesday we got it out. It has some simple word flash cards and then a simple addition/subtraction workbook. Ya'll the boy loved em. You should have seen him working those math problems. Well actually you can.....

Isn't that cute!

CoCo (aka Cohen) and I reviewed body parts as well as looked at some animal flash cards. Cohen can now say ball, car, uh oh, dada, and when upset Mama! I am going to fill out paperwork TODAY for a speech therapy evaluation. So I am expecting an explosion of words over the next couple of months.

Craft Time

Oh how I have been slacking in the Craft Department. I am embarrassed to tell you how many times Colby has asked me to do "craft time" and I have answered "maybe in a little while" while knowing full well it wasn't gonna happen. Shame! Shame! Shame! At least I have Jesus and you to confess too. Moving on....



Tuesday we opened up the craft closet and.... crafted. But only after visiting my favorite SuperMom website notimeforflashcards.com What a Mom! Colby requested an alphabet craft so we visited the "alphabet activities" and Colby chose his favorite letter "W." (The "W" has been Colby's favorite letter since age 2, I don't know.....). SuperMom has cute ideas for all the letters and one of her "w" ideas was to decorate a "W" with winter things. You can go here for specific instructions. But I think it is pretty self explanatory when you see Colby's finished product. Although I totally agree the heart doesn't scream "Winter," Colby insisted the sticker be included and... well you know me.... easy going, go with the flo Joe (maybe if I describe myself like this enough someone will start to believe it), the sticker stayed.

While Colby decorated his "W" Cohen worked on his coloring skills. Cohen- Mommy's sorry I did not post a picture of your art work but I guess I got distracted and threw it away when you started eating the markers.

American Idol House Party Update

Be sure to check in tomorrow for some updates on my Ford American Idol Watch Party. Plus I have given up getting the video to post on the Party Blog BUT I am going to post it here at DRS tomorrow. You've been warned!

Devotional Time

I am soooo excited about the new Devotional Book I found for the boys. It is leaps and bounds better then the last one. I feel bad dogging the last one since it is a book about Jesus and everything but really I was NOT a fan.

The new book I found is called Our Together-Time Bible by Gwen Ellis.

(Picture courtesy of Amazon.com you can't really click to look inside, at least not from here)

Each devotional includes an age appropriate verse, a bible story and/or application story, a "Let's talk about it" section, a "Share God's Love" activity and a prayer. There are 52 devotionals and the author encourages parents to do one lesson per week and then discuss/apply each lesson throughout the week. I totally broke that rule and did one lesson Monday and then another Tuesday BUT I think from now on I will follow her recommendation.

Just a quick testimony of the book: Tuesday our lesson talked about "patience" and I never really know how much the boys are paying attention while we are actually doing the "devotional time." BUT I did get some confirmation that at least some of the lesson soaked in when later that day Colby asked me why Jesus did not make his tongue feel better when he prayed about it (we were having tongue issues that day- whole other story... but anyways). I quickly answered by saying "Maybe God wanted to teach him something." I knew this was not an answer that would suffice but really I just said it to buy me some more time while I could think of a more appropriate answer to provide this barely 5 year old with a genuine child like faith. So I was completely caught of guard when he took my first answer and simply replied "To teach us about patience." All I said was "uh yep, that's exactly right to teach us about patience. Sometimes Jesus does not answer our prayers right away- we have to be patient." I tell you what... this is not the first time Jesus has used my baby to teach me a lesson..... BUT that is a whole other post.

BTW I paid $12.99 for the devotional book at Borders but I just saw that you can get it for less then $9 on Amazon!

Familytime Friday

It's familytime friday here at DRS and lately that means.... well not a lot. Looking back over the last month or so of Friday posts I can see how neglected this day has been. Well NOT TODAY my friends. I officially have something to blog about for all THREE "times" today.

I feel it is only fair to tell you that the devotional time, craft time, AND learning time written about today all actually occurred on Monday and/or Tuesday this week and NOT today. I really don't know what's in store for this Mommy day because I do have to work for a couple of hours and then I also have the important task of rounding up a couple of Kris Allen T-shirts and securing a prime spot to watch the "Kick Awesome" parade and concert tonight. Woo Hoo!!!! (Yes, I realize I have not mentioned anything about my Ford American Idol Watch party in over a week because quite frankly the whole thing is stressing me out- BUT I know eventually I do have to work out the details since I HAVE invited the whole world. Anyone want to join my Party Planning TASK FORCE- aka take over the planning and implementing of the party?)

Annual Budget Countdown

I interrupt Family Day to bring you the Annual Budget Countdown

I shopped 2 times since last I updated the countdown.

Kroger
Total Spent: $67.07 for 38 items
Total Saved: $21.92

Target (8 boxes of Fiber One Boxes!!!!)
Spent: $0.20 oop (used 2 $5 gift cards)
Saved: around $20

Week 18 summary
Total Spent: $67.27
Total Saved: ~$41.92
Total Spent for year: $1686.50
Total Saved for year: $1399.44
Total Left for year: $3313.50

I am officially $41.50 UNDER Budget for the year!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

And know back to your already scheduled familytime posts.......

Deal Alert- Walmart

Visit NWA deals for the best chance at Regional match-ups for Walmart. Just click on her "Walmart" tab up top.

Deal Alert

FREE Underwear! Boy was I excited when I heard about this one! Hanes is giving away "wedgie proof" underwear, bikini or brief style, to Arkansas and Oklahoma Residents. BUT it is only for certain areas of our great state and unfortunately if you live where I live our Zip Code doesn't work! What's that about?!?!?! But for the few DRSers I know that read from the NW section of our state go here to claim yours. What a freebie!!!

Deal Alert- Target

Go here to print the Target Printables I reference below:

Here are my favorite Target Deals this week:

Banana Boat Sunscreen Trial Size for $0.99
Use $1 off 1 from 5/3 RP
Final Price: FREE

Buy 4 Fiber One Cereal (16 oz), Bars (5 ct) and/or Muffin Mix (15oz) at $2.39 each, Get $5 Target Gift Card!
Use $1.35 off 1 here for Fiber One Mocha Bars, or $1 off 2 here or $0.50 off 1 from 5/3 SS
Final Price: FREE to $0.64 per box after coupons and gift card!



Kraft Salad Dressings on sale $1.59
Buy 2 and use 2 $1.50 off 1 from 3/29 SS AND $1 off 2 target printable (print from link above)
Final Price: FREE plus possible overages
Note: These were priced more on the shelf but did ring up for $1.59

Target Baby Bodywash on sale for $1.25
Use $0.75 off 1 Target Printable
Final Price: $0.50

Ritz Cheese or Peanut Butter Crackers on sale for $2
Use $1 off 1 Target Printable AND $1 off 2 from here
Final Price: $1 for 2 after coupons

Quaker Granola Bites (snack size found at register) for $1
Use $1 off 1 Quaker Snack Target Printable
Final Price: FREE



3 M Command Hooks at $2.75 (have not confirmed local price)
Use $2.50 off 1 here
Final Price: $0.25



Wheat Thins (Artisan Variety) for around $2.98
Buy 2 and use B1G1 from 3/15 SS AND 2, $1 off 1 Target Printables
Final Price: $0.98 for 2 boxes



Glade Fragrance Collection Candles for $5.79- buy 2 and get $5 Target Gift Card (I did not see this in our weekly ad so be sure to confirm before purchase)
Use 2 $4 off 1 from 5/3 SS
Final Price: FREE plus overages after Gift Card

Go here to see a complete list of Target Matchups.

Walgreen Deals

WEEKLY DEALS

v-8 Fusion Juice on sale 2 for $6
Use $2 off 1 here
Final Price: $1

DEAL: Buy any 3 Aveeno products and get a FREE travel essentials Kit
(Aveeno products are on sale 20% off)

Scenerio:
Buy 3, 2.5 oz tubes of Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotions at $2.62 each after 20% discount
Use 3 $2 off 1 from here (hint: will need to find 2 computers!)
Final Price: $1.89 oop after 3 coupons and get a FREE travel kit

REGISTER REWARD DEALS

Buy 1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste at $4.49, Get a $4.49 RR
Use $1 off 1 from here
Final Price: FREE plus $1 overages from coupon after RR

Buy 2 Pert Plus for Men at $2.50 each, Get $2 RR
Use 2 $1.50 off 1 from 5/3 SS
Final Price: FREE after 2 coupons and RR

Buy 2 Listerine Total Care mouthwash at $4.50 each, Get a $4.50 RR
Use 2 $2 off 1 from 4/26 RP
Final Price: $0.25 each after 2 coupons and RR

Spend $25 in select P&G cleaning product, Get $6 RR

Scenerio 1:
Buy 10 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers at $2.50 each
Use 5 B1G1 from 5/3 PG
Final Price: $0.65 each after coupons and RR

Scenerio 2:
Buy 3 Fabreeze Noticable starter kits at $6 each AND 4 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers at $2.50 each
Use 3 $4 off 1 from 5/3 PG AND 2 B1G1 from 5/3 PG
Final Price: $5 for all after coupons and RR

MONTHLY RR DEALS

Buy 1 Bayer Breeze or Contour Blood Glucose Meter at $14.99, Get $5 RR
Use $30 off 1 from 3/1 or 3/22 RP (coupon will adjust down)
Final Price: FREE plus $5 in overages after coupon and RR

Buy 1 Bayer Quick release Crystals at $2.49, Get a $2.49 RR
Final Price: FREE after RR

Thrifty Thursday

Hi DRS shoppers! Have you been getting some good deals lately? Anything you want to pass on to your friends?

Here is a little warning about today's deals: I have yet to see the 5/3 coupon inserts. I usually try to confirm coupon amounts before I post about the deals but I am leading you blindly today on all of the 5/3 references. ALSO I have not completed the Kroger match-ups- so as of right know I am doubtful I will have that ready for you on this day of thriftiness. Maybe Friday but if life gets too crazy I might just wait to scan thegrocerygames match-ups late Saturday night before I pass on the best deals.

Donna Gone Wild cont..

Most days, my pool time was followed by lunch and then computer time until DH got out of his conference BUT one day DH and I had the afternoon to ourselves. Let me introduce DH to you. He is the figure on the left.

I really am a horrible photographer.

Anyways..... On DH's only day off we decided to rent a car and take a drive into the city. Mom and Dad had been out a couple of months ago and Mom had found a really good Outlet Mall that she insisted we visit. So we got directions and off we went. It was on this outing that I got to fulfill a lifelong (ok year long) dream of mine. While Rory was driving in bumper to bumper traffic I looked up and gasped.........THERE IT WAS!!!!!






I thought the event warranted 2 pictures. Anyways.... DH slammed on the breaks because he thought my gasp meant we were about to be hit or we were about to hit something. Needless to say DH did not share my enthusiasm for my CVS sighting And he REALLY didn't appreciate it when I let out a similar gasp about 2 miles down the road when I saw ANOTHER CVS. Now lucky for you, our outing happened to be on my birthday, so I was able to use the day to convince DH to pull over so I could get a picture and a walk through this Monument of Thriftyness. WHERE WAS MY COUPON BOX WHEN I NEEDED IT?! Why had I not thought ahead to do CVS coupon match-ups before leaving on my trip?! Did DH have to call me a Nerd while he snapped my photo? Although I was not able to fully appreciate the CVS experience without coupons I did buy some CVS brand aloe vera and sunscreen as a souvenir.

After shopping, DH and I enjoyed an incredible meal at one of the old historic casinos. It was one of those places that served sorbet between our salad and main course to cleanse our pallet. It was Yum Yum and perhaps the highlight our our trip. (It's always about the food for me.)

Speaking of Food! Guess What? I tried Sushi for the first time on our trip. Yep! Look at me all cultured! DH and I ordered California Rolls, LSD Rolls and some other type of Roll.


Sorry, I didn't think to snap a picture until the meal was almost done.

I think I really liked it but to be honest I was so intimidated by the chop stix I barely noticed the taste of the food. I mean I could not figure out the chop stix to save my life. As soon as I thought I had a good grip on the food the little roll would twist out and fly across the table. I ended up being the ONLY person in the WHOLE restaurant that was using a fork to transport the sushi from plate to mouth. I'm telling you I saw what looked like a four year old using the stix. Well the next night, I decided to get an order or California Rolls to go complete with chop stix so I could practice in the privacy of my own room. I carefully watched Rory's technique and execution of the Japanese eating utensil...... and then I figured it out!!!!! The second finger to the left of the pinky played a critical roll in the successful handling of the chop stix!!!! Guess what? I DON'T HAVE THAT FINGER!!!!! It's not that I am an uncultured hick of the south it is simply a result of the way our Omniscient Lord designed me! Woo was I relieved.

Before retiring to our room by 10 PM (yes, we are wild without our children) we attempted to try our luck in the casinos but quite frankly didn't understand how to play anything. I asked a casino worker for an instruction manual on how to play some of the games but she just kind of looked at me like I was weird or something. DH did understand how to play blackjack and taught me how to play. DH played with $30 and I with $20. I turned my $20 into $40 woo hoo and DH... well he had a good time. I also attempted to put money into a slot machine but I couldn't tell you if I won or lost. It wasn't as easy as lining the cherry's up like you see in the movies. Anyways I am happy to say I did not return a gambling addict. I did fear this about myself because I tend to have obsessive tendencies. That's why I stay away from "the drink" I am destined to end up in some X anonymous group it's just a mater of which one. Is there a Labeloholics Anonymous?

Finally I end my recap with one very disturbing picture. This item was found in our HOTEL ROOM!!!!

What in the world?!?! Who in there right mind would want to weigh themselves on a vacation? And after the chocolate chip muffins no less!!!! I passed.

All in all it was a great get away. DH and I got to spend some much needed quality one on one time with each other. And we came back feeling refreshed and READY to hug our babies.

Donna on Vacation

So what does a girl with DRS do when she is on vacation with no kids in "Sin City?" Well, let me take you on a play by play of my most action packed day:

First I woke up around 9am. This actually really bothered me because I really thought that my natural wake time, if given the ability to sleep until my body just naturally awoke, would be closer to the 11-12 o'clock range. Of course there is a 2 hour time difference between our time and Vegas time, so that makes more sense. Anyways.....

After taking my time getting ready, and by ready I simply mean putting my hair in a pony tail and putting my bathing suit on, I went down to the cafe to order breakfast. DH had already eaten breakfast (he got up at 6am most days!) so I was on my own for breakfast. Because I lack the confidence to eat in a restaurant all by myself, I decided to order something from the pastry counter to go, rather than the menu.
Warning: This next part of my day is going to change the way some of you think of me. For some, I fear I might lose a great deal of respect. For others your respect for me will jump to a whole new level (not to say that the level of respect started out that high to begin with.... but anyways....) But regardless.... It must be told! For 2 days in a row the most important meal of the day consisted of..........

A GINORMOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN!!!! That's right! I ate it! And not just once but twice! And then went back a third time- but this time just to take a picture (kinda felt like a dork holding up my camera to the glass case, snapping a photo, and walking off, but I'm kinda use to that feeling) Yep! I totally bypassed the Bran Muffin for the chocolate. I sacrificed the colon to satisfy the taste buds. Traded in the fiber for some good ol' simple sugar. And you know what? I felt JUST FINE about it. Maybe my bowels weren't so happy about my decision but I felt justified in my choice. After all I am the dietitian that preaches "ALL FOODS CAN FIT" in a healthy diet. Although one must be pretty creative in her food choices if she is going to make one of those muffins fit.......

After polishing off the last bite of my muffin, it was time to catch some rays. My only responsibility on this minivacation was to get some much needed color. Soooo off to the pool I went. I took the picture below to show you the pool, BUT the real reason I posted this picture was to show off my pretty toe nails.

If I may, let me stop right here for a sec and rewind our story back to the day before we left for the trip. REWIND (make a rewind noise please)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 9:15am: In honor of my upcoming minivacation I decide to get my once a year pedicure. Now normally I like to get my annual pedicure at the local beauty school (there's a thrifty tip for ya) BUT I hadn't made an appointment and I only had a 1.5 hour window of time to get it done, soooo I walked into one of those "Walk-Ins Welcome" nail salons. The sweet girl who performed my pedicure spoke very little English and the English she did speak was not the clearest so I just hoped we were on the same page about which service I wanted- the basic pedi and NOT the spa deluxe pedicure. Well about halfway through she asked me if I wanted my nails done too. And in that split second I thought to myself "Well Yes I would like my nails done" (throw the budget to the wind...) so I said to the nice lady "Yes, I would like my nails done..........How much does that cost?" She gave me the price for both the mani and pedi and I was $5 short, so I said "that's ok, I'll just stick with the pedicure." And then she said "I do it for fi less." Wasn't that sweet!!!! At first I felt guilty for letting her do my nails for $5 less because I knew I wouldn't even have money to tip her BUT then I remembered I AM missing a finger so that is ONE less nail she had to paint. So I felt better.

FASTFORWARD BACK TO VEGAS

Anyways.... after 2 hours baking in the sun I had successfully turned myself from ash white to lobster red. Ok lobster might be a little bit of an exaggeration...I'll go with Gala Apple red (that's the slightly pinkish red apple). Oh, and that apple red.... was just on the front side. The sides and back of my body were still ash. Yes... DH had a good laugh over that one.

Part of the reason I was so unevenly fryed was because I got involved in a really good book and forgot to turn over. I originally intended to finally read "The Shack" while away but can I just tell you that I am totally afraid to read it. I know just enough about it to know that I am going to be completely freaked out for a big chunk of the book and I just couldn't read it being a gazillion miles away from the boys. BUT I can't ever seem to find the time to read it when I am at home with the boys in near site. Sooo I have still yet to read that book. BUT I did read a great book by one of my favorite authors Karen Kingsbury called Every Now and Then. This book is part of her September 11 Series and boy was it good.

I think I'll stop right here and give you a chance to get on with your life for a while. Come back in a couple of hours to read more about my WILD Vegas Trip.

Deal Alert

Well KFC is doing it again. This time they are giving away a 2 piece grilled chicken meal! That's right, go here to print your coupon valid May 5-19th (excludes Mother's Day) for a FREE 2 piece grilled chicken, 2 individual sides, and a biscuit. Has anyone tried the grilled chicken?

Note: Coupon only available to print May 5th and 6th.

FREE Food for Mom!

This week a couple close-to-home restaurants are providing FREE food for Mom.

May 4th - 8th at Carinos Italian Restaurant, Mom gets a FREE 3 course meal with the purchase of another Entree. This 3 course meal includes: unlimited soup or salad, choice of chef-select entrees, mini dessert, AND a beverage! Limit one free Mom’s meal per table, dine in only.
Carinos use to be DH and I's FAVORITE Date Night Restaurant. I'm not kidding when we were dating we use to go AT LEAST once a week. I recommend the chicken skillitini (I hope it is part of the entree selections)

Not sure our T.G.I. Fridays will be open by this weekend but if it is FREE desert with the purchase of an entree.

And Mom's get a FREE cup or cone of Yogurt at TCBY on Mother's Day!

I'll be sure to let you know if I get word of any other Mother's Day Freebies!

Zone 3- Bathroom, Living Room, Entryway

Day 1- Tuesday

• Clean Tub and Showers
• Wash Rugs
• Wash Shower Curtains

Day 2- Wednesday

• Clean Mirrors
• Clean Toilets
• Clean Sinks and Counters

Day 3- Thursday

• Organize and Clean Bathroom Cabinets and Drawers (inside and out)
• Dust Living Room Furniture
• Dust Entryway Furniture

Day 4- Friday

• Dust Bathroom, Living Room and Entryway Baseboards
• Vacuum/Swiffer Bathroom, Living Room and Entryway Floors
• Clean all Windows and Fans in this Zone

Day 5- Saturday

• Organize Bookshelf
• Update Pictures in Frames

Tidy Tuesday

Ok DRSers I am getting really burned out on cleaning. Anyone out there with me? I am looking for ideas on how to spice up the ol' cleaning routine. Any ideas?!?! In the meantime, I'm posting Zone 3 in just a few minutes. Maybe something miraculous will happen sometime today and I'll feel the need to get back "in the zone." We'll see.............

Mealtime Monday- accountability

What's for dinner at your house this week?

Deal Alert- Red Box Code

The Free Monday rental redbox code is: BT73H9 Remember this code is good until midnight tonight. And you must return your rental by 9pm on Tuesday or you will be charged $1 each additional night.

Tacos

Colby loves him some Mexican Food. He will be soooo excited to see that tacos made the menu this week. Nothing special about the tacos. I just follow the directions on the back of the taco seasoning packet.

Tacos

Ground Sirloin
Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
Taco Shells
Tomato (diced)
Shredded Lettuce
Shredded 2% cheese
Salsa

Brown Ground Sirloin and then rinse and drain. Add seasoning to beef. Bake Taco Shells according to package. Place meat inside taco shell and garnish as desired.

Nutrition Information will vary
Just know that every 2 taco shells will be about 125 Calories, 1 starch and 1 fat
Every ounce of Ground Sirloin is about 45 Calories and 1 meat

I am going to serve these with a can of fat free refried beans

Chicken Pot Pie

This is another childhood favorite. That seems to be the theme today. I have made this recipe once before and it was yummy!!

Chicken Pot Pie
Go here for recipe.

Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1/8th of pie
Meal Plan: 416 Calories, 2 meats, 2 starches, 1 vegetable, 3 fats

Frogmore Stew

This is a great summer time meal. It's fun to put some wax paper or foil out in the center of your table and then just toss the contents of the stew out for your family and/or friends to just grab with there hands and eat. If the weather will cooperate I think we might even spread out a blanket in the backyard and make it a picnic.

Go here for the recipe.

The recipe makes 12 servings but you could easily cut that in half.

Nutrition Information: (based on allrecipes.com nutritional analysis)
Serving Size: 1/12th of recipe
Meal Plan: 499 Calories, 7 meats, 2 starches, 1 fat

Crockpot Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Rice use to be one of my FAVORITE dishes growing up. I can remember many a birthday requesting this dish from my Mom. Soooo I thought I'd give the crockpot lady's chicken and rice recipe a try. Love the idea of NOT using a "cream of" soup to make this dish.


Go here for the recipe.

Haven't figured out the nutrition on this one yet- but I can tell you it is going to be a GREAT choice!

I'm going to serve this with green beans.

Jennifer's Macaroni and Cheese

I was so excited when I ran across this recipe for Macaroni and Cheese on my blog friend Jennifer's blog-"Right in Front of Me." I have never been a fan of the blue box Mac N Cheese BUT I do remember many, many, many years ago loving me some school cafeteria macaroni. Even in my grade school days my sensitive pallet new the difference between the orange, artificially flavored cheese noodles and the real deal.
It has been many years since I have tasted "real" macaroni and cheese and I think it is about time for me to take a stab at making it myself. PLUS I am anxious to introduce this kid favorite cuisine to the boys. So far they have not been a fan of ANY pasta- CRAZY, I know!!!!, BUT I'm thinking this might be the dish that turns them onto noodles- we'll see.

Go here to see the recipe and to visit Jennifer's blog.

I am betting you could lighten this recipe up a bit by using 2% cheddar cheese and light butter. I think what I'm gonna do is use the light butter but REAL cheddar cheese. Because this recipe is very dependant on the cheese I'm just nervous to use anything but the real deal. Let us know if you try it.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1/6th if main dish (I would do 1/8th if used as a side)
Meal Plan: ~330 Calories, 1.5 meat, 2 starches, 2.5 fats (best estimate)

I am going to serve this with a side salad.

Mealtime Monday

If everything went as planned our flight was not scheduled to arrive until 10 PM last night, soooo needless to say I did not get to the grocery store last night. Therefore instead of cooking all our meals today I am going to load up the boys and go grocery shopping. This week I will just prepare one meal per day and then next week I'll get back to my marathon cooking day. Another thing different about this week is that the other family I cook for is on vacation. The other family has several health concerns that I am always mindful of when preparing my menu. This week I have allowed more fat and calories to creep in the menu then usual. Although I believe all of these recipes can fit into a healthy lifestyle, I wouldn't usually allow them all to be served in the same week. So just keep that in mind when planning your menu.

Sonday Sunday- Guest Post

What’s your “Backstory?”

My grandmother died last year at the age of 95. She lived almost 100 years of loving, serving, and giving to others. Even the hospice minister who spoke at her funeral said that he had received encouragement as he cared for her in the last few weeks. During her funeral service, much was said about her life and all of the things she did; but one thing stood out to me most because it was something I never knew about my grandmother. A friend mentioned that every Sunday morning, Grandma brought a friend with her to Sunday School and Church. It was a woman she had become acquainted with somehow, and they struck up a friendship. Grandma invited her to church one Sunday….and quite literally, the rest is history. My grandmother picked this woman up for church every Sunday, without fail, for years and years. No one knew quite how long, but our guess is that she did it at least 15-20 years. That is A LOT of Sundays! What a commitment. What a selfless act for her and a tremendous blessing to this woman.
Because I am a Christian, I believe that my grandmother is now is heaven. I believe she stood before God and saw Him face to face and heard Jesus Christ Himself say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21) Hers was a life of love and commitment to others.
None of us here on earth really know what it will be like when we get to heaven. We just know that if we are in Christ, that is where we will get to spend eternity. I heard a challenging speaker talk about heaven recently. What he had to say has really impacted the way I look at my life…and how I live each day. His view of heaven is that all of us who know the Lord will arrive there and stand before the throne of God…individually…and take a look back at our lives. Kind of like a slide show or video, except that this time, this “look back” will include details we might have never noticed or been able to see. (Kind of like when television programs show you the “behind the scenes” footage or the “rest of the story…” The techinical term in television for this unseen footage is often called the “Backstory.”) We will stand with God and watch our life story…”backstory” included. We will be able to see if/how what we did impacted others and ourselves.
For example, if, during your life, you heard someone tell you “I am praying for you,” then as you watch your “backstory” with Jesus…you would see whether or not that person actually went home and said a prayer for you . You would see decisions your children made when you weren’t around, that were based on what you had taught them. You would see the disappointment in your wife’s face when you forgot about her birthday…even though at the time she acted like it was fine. You would see the family that you “adopted” for Christmas opening the presents together…so thankful for your gift. My grandmother would see how her friend’s life was impacted by those Sunday mornings. In the “backstory,” you get a real sense of how you impacted the world around you.
When you think about it, the idea of the “backstory” is extremely humbling. We never know what kind of impact our words or actions will have on others. Think about how many people we cross paths with each day for even just a few seconds. Do we have a positive or negative effect on them? When I stand before the throne of God in heaven, I want to see all kinds of blessings in my “backstory,” not missed opportunities to bless others. I want to stand there and see person after person in my life to whom I brought happiness and encouragement…whether it’s my family and friends, or the drive-thru worker at McDonald’s. I want to see how my teaching made a difference to my students and bible study girls. I want to see how missionaries specifically used our support to spead the gospel. I want to see what happened to the man wandering around in the grocery store parking lot who I wondered about helping, but decided against it. I want to see my husband at work each day…empowered by the prayers and support I give him at home. I want to feel proud to see that I took advantage of opportunities to serve others, even when it wasn’t the easiest or most convenient thing to do.
All of us have a “backstory.” In this small town where we live, many of us are part of each other’s “backstory.” I know so many amazing people who really give of themselves to others, making this a wonderful community to be a part of. It inspires me to make sacrifices and get out of my comfort zone, knowing that I could be the difference in someone’s day…or week…or life. So could you. It’s not necessarily the big things that make the biggest difference. It’s taking the time and making the effort to notice the “things” that would mean the most to someone.