Another Bath & Body Works coupon

Ok, girls. Thanks to Wendy at More Than Enough, here's another awesome Bath & Body Works coupon, good until July 6. You should only have to purchase one thing (anything!) in the store to be able to redeem the coupon for one lip favorite or hand gel.

Deal at Walgreens.....diapers!

I went to Walgreens tonight to purchase two packs of their store-brand training pants that are on sale this week for only $5.99 per pack (the same is true of the store-brand diapers). I heard there was a coupon in the Walgreens Easy Saver Catalog (it's red this month and can be found in the front of the store when you first walk in or near the registers) for $5 off the purchase of two packs. So, I got two packs tonight for only a little over $7 after tax. The cashier was impressed and said she was gonna do the same scenario that night before going home to her two year old sleeping son. I love a bargain.



Then I came home, quite proud of the bargain I had just made, when I sat down to my computer to find this better scenario on a blog I love to read. I could've saved even more. Oh well, the sale is good until Sunday, July 6, and I need to purchase two more packs anyway.

"Excuse me, Officer...what did you say?"

After she crawled through the cupboards, she decided to take a spin on her bike. Just shy of her first birthday, she received her first citation.

"I'm sorry, Officer. I was going how fast? No, I always look this good when riding in the wind, but thanks for asking....I think."

It's ok...I was thinking "COPS" when I wrote this post, too. Just look at that messy hair, no shirt, diaper only, jalopy riding, cupboard climbing baby. All the components are there.

Old Navy flip flops

Shhhhhh!

I heard a rumor.....

Old Navy flip flops will be on sale this Saturday for only $1 a pair!

Thanks to Carlie at Why Ask Why for this "heads up".

Swimming Lessons

Andrew has just completed the Skipper swimming lesson course. He did so well and looked forward to every evening in the pool with his instructor, Amanda. He now understands to hold his breath when his head is under water and he's become more brave than I would like - jumping off diving starter blocks, disappearing underwater, and doing flips. Fun, but scary. We are so proud!

My child's portrait

I have a sweet friend named Carolyn. She and I worked together for a couple of years at our school and always enjoyed having conversation in passing or as she dropped off her class in my art room. We share alot in common such as a passion for scrapbooking and anything crafty. Well, low and behold, she picked up a colored pencil one day and started drawing! All these years and no one ever knew, not even her, how gifted an artist she was. Carolyn would never admit to that but I'll brag for her because her work is amazing.

So, after seeing Carolyn's work, I immediately asked her to draw Abigail's face from a picture that my friend, Holly, took. Here's the final result and comparison.

Here's the photograph of Abigail by Holly:



Here's the pencil drawing of Abigail by Carolyn:



So, if you are interested in having Carolyn draw the face of your loved one, please contact me. She is eager to do more work! If you'll email or call me, I'll give you Carolyn's contact information so you can communicate with her directly. She is waiting with her pencils ready!

Another WAGS coupon

Click here for another coupon for $5 off $20 at Walgreens, only good tomorrow, Friday, June 27. I've already got my coupons ready and my list made.

Sickies

Andrew has a fever of 102 and tested positive for strep throat yesterday. He spent the rest of the day on the couch or in my lap. He had a few hours of no fever today (after the Ibuprofen kicked in) upon which he spent fighting with his little brother. Andrew is upset that he missed swimming lessons Tuesday night but he's ready to take his medicine so he can go back to the pool tonight!

Abigail was awake for three hours last night screaming in pain. This is very unlike her. I took her to see the doctor today as well and it was discovered that she has a double ear infection (is that a groan of understanding, Becky? Or are you just glad it's me and not you this go-around?).

Luke.....well, he's Luke. Always perky; always hyper; always a clown. I don't think that child has been sick one day in his life. I just realized something as I typed that last sentence....he's the only one of my three children that I nursed longer than a year. Hmmmm.

Guess what, Mom? Abigail is about to celebrate her first birthday and I'm actually NOT pregnant this go around! I look back and find it funny that I was pregnant with Luke on Andrew's first birthday and then pregnant with Abigail on Luke's first birthday. Maybe next summer. HA!

My first oil painting

I've always loved painting with acrylics but have never dabbled in oils before. I've got a few friends who will be having baby girls soon so I thought I'd experiment with oils by making something for one of them (I won't mention any names). I had so much fun with this project and can't wait to do more.


Note to self: It takes quite some time for the oils to dry. It's been three days and the canvas is still wet. I wonder how long I'll be waiting....

Plastic #6 shrinks!

Once again, I participated in the weekly Unplugged Project challenge. This week the craft topic was "plastic". So, since my brain is almost dead, I (once again) copied the author and did the same thing with the plastic I had on hand.

Who knew that #6 recycable plastic also functions like shrinky-dink plastic? I had prepared myself to go to the grocery store to look for needed items that might be contained in #6 plastic but I realized that the fudge container my in-laws brought back from their Ohio Amish country trip last week was just what I needed!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start with #6 recyclable plastic (it's thin & brittle)

Cut various shapes from plastic, making the shape at least the size of a half dollar coin.

Draw a design on the plastic shape with Sharpie markers.

Punch a hole in the shape so it can be hung on a necklace, put on a keychain, etc. I would suggest punching two connecting holes, side by side, since one hole tends to become too small after shrinking.

Place shapes, design side up, on aluminum foil (or parchment paper) on top of a cookie sheet.

Place in oven for about two minutes. Watch the shapes curl and then lay flat.


Remove cookie sheet and wait for a minute for the shapes to cool so they can harden.

Ta Da!

Caregivers Marketplace

I have been meaning to post about this for a long time but just never remembered to sit down and write about it. Clipping coupons has helped me save a good bit of money since I've gotten serious about looking for the best deals. I've subscribed to MANY other money saving blogs and discovered different ways to save money besides sales and coupons. One of those "ways" is through Caregivers Marketplace. Through generous donations, CG pays you money back for specific items you purchase, such as Huggies diapers & Pull-ups, Cottenelle moist wipes, Depends, and SO much more (visit their website for a detailed list of all eligible items). Who knew there was such a program as this that caters to anyone who gives, gets or needs care? I mailed off my first set of receipts a month ago and received a check from them in the mail just a few weeks later.

This is the real deal! For moms who are constantly purchasing diapers, this is a great rebate program. Just save your receipts (minimum of 5 receipts total but there's no max, I don't think), follow the instruction when filling out the form (which you can download from their website), mail them, and wait for your check!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!

Cooped in the closet

Ok, this is just bizarre. Weird. Crazy.

New RedBox codes

I don't know how long these codes are good, so try them....NOW!

667HW0G

7RFSTWW

Coupon for free Thomas the Tank Engine

From June 21 through July 5, you can use this coupon to get one free Thomas the Tank Engine from ToysRUs, valued at $12.99 or under. There's a limit of only one coupon per guest but there's no limit to the amount of times you can print this coupon. In other words, share the coupon with your friends and family! This would be a great happy toy for your child or as a birthday gift.

One more time, click here to print the coupon. Thanks to imommies for posting about this offer.

She's walking!

Andrew walked at 11 months of age. Luke walked at 13 months of age. Looks like the little sister is following in Andrew's footsteps (no, that's not a pun) because it's official...Abigail is now walking. She took 19 steps today before falling. Everyday the number of steps increase. With her first birthday approaching in less than three weeks, she'll be setting the pace at her party! Sorry, I need to take a picture of her actually walking, huh? That's soon coming....

Friends from childhood

Christy and Summer. Two very close and sweet friends. We graduated together and have stayed in touch since then (gosh, that was fifteen years ago). They both came to Columbus this past week so we could meet up for lunch. We laughed our boodies off and had fun conversation.

I've known Summer (center) since I was a wee little child. We didn't go to school together until the fifth grade but we knew each other before then because we were both very involved in the same church (choir, Sunday school, Mission Friends, G.A.s). In fact, Summer's father was my mom's boss for quite some time so we ran together in many circles. She still lives in our hometown with her husband and three children. When I stand next to Summer, I feel like a munchkin! Wish I had that height! Summer, I miss spending time with you. It was a blessing to see you whenever I wanted to when we lived in T'ville for those eight months back in '04. Please come back to Columbus when you can. I loved holding that sweet baby boy of yours!

Christy....oh, goodness...where do I start? I can hear her cackling now. Christy moved to my hometown just before we started the seventh grade. Her father took a ministerial position at our church, moving the family from Ft. Worth, TX, to our tiny Georgia town. Since her family settled just two streets over from mine, we became quick friends. I began riding to school with her and her brother and we were inseparable for quite some time. To my delight, Christy now lives just 30 minutes from me! We'll be seeing alot of each other and that makes me happy. We are both wives to pastors and both have daughters with the same name (I know....you had it first, Christy - but I didn't copy you!). Christy, you are a hoot and I long to spend as much time with you as I can. Have fun at the beach next week and let's do a playdate when you return.

Now, if only I could get a picture with Ashley, Dawn, Tyler, and Claire....

Pray for family of Dennis Rainey @ Family Life

Tim Challies has posted about the sudden heartbreak in the Dennis Rainey family. Click here to read more about it. Please pray for Rebecca and Jake as they mourn the loss of Molly Ann.

VBS 2008

It's only day four of VBS but I've taken over 400 pictures of the fun we're having at church. I'm leading music and just love watching the children get into the hand motions and message of Jesus. Here are just a few pictures for you to enjoy but I'll post alot more later....I've got to get through Friday first!

Unplugged Project "Sticky"

One of my favorite blogs to read daily is Unplug Your Kids. Each week, the author posts a different challenge to her readers in hopes of widening imaginations (and to stop relying on the TV set to entertain our children) and encouraging creativity. Two weeks ago, her challenge was "sticky" (this week it's "plastic"). Her challenge is always presented to her readers through show of what she did with her kids for that particular challenge. I decided to copy her sticky project since it fit right in line with what Andrew wanted to make for Mitch for Father's Day last weekend. You can click here to read detailed step by step instructions from Unplug Your Kids on how we did this pencil/pen holder decoupage can craft.

Below are a few pictures of Andrew actually making his gift to his dad with my simple instructions.

We started with an aluminum can and masking tape.
On day one, Andrew covered the can with small pieces of masking tape to give the can some texture and create a decoupage effect.
On day two, Andrew placed strips of clear scotch tape along the can and then painted the entire can various colors of his choice.
Here's the final result after the tempra paint dried and the scrotch tape removed. Before presenting it to Dad, we sprayed the can with an acrylic sealer to hold the paint and tape in place...just in case!

Luke also wanted to get in on the sticky action so I found another form of sticky-ness just for him. I taped a piece of contact paper on the window, sticky side exposed (this is a feat in itself!). I pre-cut cute pictures of various fun things out of the June Family Fun magazine since most pictures in it are related to kids and family (duh). Luke colored a cartoon face that resembled his Daddy and then stuck the cut out pictures all around the face. I typed and printed "I love you because you..." and stuck it to the top of the contact paper. I then typed and printed the rest of the sentence beside each picture, such as "...treat me to french fries" and "take me to the playground". I sealed the finished creation with a top piece of contact paper and we decided to give it to Mitch as a placemat, wall decoration, or whatever other idea he could come up with.


(Click on any of the images to see them larger.)



Andrew wanted to make one, too....I mean, have you tried to keep a second set of hands away from their brother's sticky contact sheet? It was best to let him make a second gift for Mitch.


Father's Day was certainly celebrated at our house!

She's almost one!

Abigail will be one year old in just a few weeks. This past year has been a whirlwind! I feel like, since she's my third child, I haven't been able to fully watch her grow as I did with the boys. She has started walking and will be running marathons by her first birthday, I'm sure. What a precious treasure God has given us.

Who says?

Who says a mullet isn't cute?....especially one in the front!

Free ice cream float today!

DON'T FORGET!

Today you can stop by an A&W Restaurant between 2-8 p.m. for a free root beer float to celebrate National Free Float Day.

Thanks to Denise at The "Cent"sible Sawyer for posting about this offer.

VBS Prep

Tonight at our VBS decorating meeting, the ladies were caught doing this (see how hard they are working?):

...while the men were caught doing this (see how had they are working?):

Guys, you know I am just kidding! Thank you for hanging the banner outside, moving the chairs in the sanctuary, watching the kiddos while the ladies decorated, picking up the pizza, moving the couch out of the foyer, setting up the projector, rolling the ladder around, and simply coming to the church to help make VBS memorable for the children. You're the best!

A different game of TAG

My friend, Kelly, just tagged me. I've played this game before but not with these questions. Thanks Kelly! I learned much about you when reading your answers!

1. Where Were You Ten Years Ago?
Let's see...that was the summer of 1998. I was living at home with Mom, getting ready to send in my application to graduate school in Birmingham, AL. I spent a week writing a required paper regarding my testimony that was to be attached to my application. After mailing it in, if felt like an eternity before I heard if I was accepted or denied for the winter term. During this waiting period, I worked at my mom's law firm doing whatever needed to be done in the office. It was good to be at "home" with Mom but I was ready to move on to another stage in my life. I had been out of college for a year and had spent that time "in limbo" as to what to do. I really felt a desire to go to seminary so I waited anxiously for the letter in the mail. It soon came and I was delighted to read that I had been accepted. Little did I know that just six months later I would meet my sweet husband in the hall at this very school!

2. Five Items on Your To-Do List Today
1. attend church
2. take a nap
3. prepare and decorate for VBS
4. help our children present Father's Day gifts to Mitch
5. clean up the playroom and unload the dishwasher

3. Snacks I Enjoy
1. a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal
2. a cold diet coke with lots of ice
3. ice cream
4. peanut butter crackers
5. oatmeal raisin cookies

4. What would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. give to the church & charities
2. pay off all our debt
3. invest
4. travel
5. buy a house

5. Places I would Live
Like Kelly, we are very happy where we are now. I love living in Georgia and love living in the south. I like the fact that we aren't very far from either side of the family and it only takes us about three hours to get to the Florida gulf. However, I have always said that the north Georgia/East Tennessee mountains (Appalachians/Smokeys) is where I would like to live one day. The mountain setting is so peaceful...they remind me of God's beauty, love, and supremacy.

Happy Father's Day! 2008

I just don't know how to make words do justice to describe the wonderful husband God has given me. He's a magnificent father to our children and daily shows and tells of his love for me. Happy Father's Day, Babe. We all love you a whole bunch.

The Rainforest Cafe

The Rainforest Cafe is a cool place to eat! It's great for the kids. It's not your usual dining out experience. Andrew and Luke definitely enjoyed it. Click here to read more about this establishment and to find your nearest location. We ate at the Nashville location in The Opry Mills Mall.

LM hearts AC

Most people can remember that one special friend they had when growing up as a small child. AC is that special friend to Luke. They are together many times each week and ask for the other when one of them is out of town or sick. AC's mother and I are very close as well and have often joked that one day our children will probably marry. It's something fun to think about and probably won't happen, but it is possible! They truly love each other.

We invited AC over last week to eat dinner and do a craft while her parents went on a date. Luke was disappointed when AC had to leave but he gave her a smile when he saw her at church a few days later.

Wuv...twu wuv.

Pop

Playing with Pop (my husband's dad) is always fun. The boys adore him! It's taking Abigail a little more time to get attached to anyone besides Mom and Dad, hence why she isn't pictured playing with her grandfather.

Slip-n-Slide

Abigail's first turn on the Slip-n-Slide. She loved it! She screamed when I picked her up to dry off. No kidding.

A lizard be in our yard

Andrew loves hunting lizards. We had our small group over this past Sunday night to grill some dinner. The younger boys went outside to play in the sprinkler and came running back inside with this find:

Being a mom to boys is so much fun!