Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:  Sunny, but Cool Crisp temps.  It’s gonna get cold at night thought.

Book I'm reading:  None at the moment.

What's on my TV today:  Lots of things… we are clearing out the DVR, Castle, CSI":Miami, Bear Swamp Recovery…. and later who knows…. hubby won’t tell me what’s on TV tonight!

On the menu for dinner: We still aren’t having real dinners yet, because with the Oral Surgery, Norm can’t eat most foods.  So I make whatever the kids want, and I will have whatever is laying around.

On my To Do List: At least 2 more loads of laundry.  And I would like to do something creative this evening.

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:   I want to find a good pumpkin fudge recipe.  Still on the hunt!

In the craft basket: Oh My! What isn’t in there?? I am currently working on making paper beads.

Looking forward to this week:  Spending some tiem with the kids, with NO WHERE to go! Cheer & Football are over, and the kids have 3 days off this week… so it’s Pajama week here…. no going to the store, no appointments… NOTHING

Tips and Tricks: 

My favorite blog post this week:  Hey it’s still monday….. we will see what the week brings!

 
Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):I have an awesome blog I want to share, but can not find the link, or remember the title… I will look for it!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

 

Lesson learned the past few days:  My kids are wonderful little people! The twins have both developed GREAT sportsmanship!

On my mind:   I need to have more tolerance of other people!

Free BIC Pen on FaceBook

This goes from today till August 30.

BIC is giving away 130 Pens on the hour every hour from 10am & 8pm EST from now till August 30.  That equals about 93,600 pens total so you should have a good chance to win.  Just keep trying.  You can win only 1 time.

***Click on the “The  giveaway information tab” and enter in your information.  Go “LIKE” them now so you will be ready.

***Even if you don’t get there in time to  get  a   free pen, you still get a printable coupon!

Click here

BOGO 20 oz Sun Drop

Don’t see soda coupons in my area much…

Just printed mine.  Remember you can print twice 

There is a new Sun Drop Soda Coupon.  The coupon is

for Buy One Get One Free Sun Drop Soda 20 oz,

Regular or Diet.  (I’v only seen the 20 oz size @ Quick Check)

Sun Drop Soda Coupon

Free OREO Brownie @ Quick Check

Offer expires 8/8/11.

PRINT coupon

Gift Card Holder Tutorial I Found & Love

 

I use YouTube video tutorials a LOT! When I found this one, by one of my favorite video makers I decided it was perfect for what I needed. It seems all my friends have birthdays in a 3 week time frame. I am never quite sure what to get for some of them, so I went with gift cards. Well for this particular friend I wanted a cute gift card holder. So I searched through my favorite video makers and found this video @  Kwernerdesign. 

I of course did a few things a bit differently…. but here are photos of My finished project.

I also shared this posting on the Blog for a Design Team I am a member of.. SCF-DT !

My son, My Little Cook in the making

I am trying to make sure that my children are able to fend for themselves…. this includes making sure that my boys can cook more than just spaghetti, eggs, & tacos…. So just the other night I had my oldest son Norman (JR) help make dinner…. It was Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn…..

I missed the chance to take a picture of him mixing together the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, & seasonings for the meatloaf itself. But here he is using the Vidalia Chop Wizard to dice potatoes.  I sliced the potatoes, he chopped!

Here he is mixing the sauce for on top of the meatloaf, nothing fancy just ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar.

Here he is painting the meatloaf as he calls it!

And our finished product…….

He had a blast cooking with me, and has been asking when he can do it again.  I am thinking maybe tonight!

My Son, I am SOOO Proud!`

 

My son normally sports a buzz cut.  Well for some reason he decided he didn’t want that anymore, and his MeMom took him for a hair cut and he kept it a little longer on top for a while. Then he decided to let it all just grow out!! FINALLY a couple days ago he made a deal wiht his Momma(me) if I can have ice cream for a bed time snack, you can SHAVE my hair.  DEAL!! Well then I remembered an online friend Amber…. she shaved her hair for St Baldricks… they bring awareness to childhood cancer, adn help raise money for cancer research…. I told my son, He was so Impressed by a woman being brave enough to shave his head, that we decided to let his hair grown another month, and then He will shave his head at a St Baldricks event! So if anyone could share his link, or donate a Dollar, not only would you help sick kids, but you would help my son realize there are still good people in this world!!

This is my Norman with hair…. that second one was taken on Crazy Hair day at school!

 

Here is the link to his Participation page on St Baldrick’s website!

http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/donorlist/participantid/456640

A Crazy Little Thing Called Beading

View Full Album

I finally got a chance to play with my beading  supplies last week! And boy oh boy did it feel nice!  I made 5 sets of earrings… by #6 my finger tips were a little sore, and my eyes were going a bit wonky!!! So the 6th pair sits two-thirds finished…. just waiting on me to get a little time!  I also dug out some gorgeous charms and pendants I have purchased along the way!  I am so excited to play with them all again!!

Journaling Prompts Days 29 & 30

Day 29:  What is your favorite romantic movie or book?  Not big on Romance books But I will say The Twilight Saga, since I loved those books… and I’m not really into Romantic Movies either, so again I will go with The Twilight Saga…

Day 30:  When you were growing up,  were you responsible for chores?  What were they?  I had to make my bed, clean my room, helo dust or vacuum, and It was my job to clean the dog’s pen outside…

DT Call

Scrapbooking/Crafting Friends Design Team Call!

Who we are: Scrapbooking/Crafting Friends are a group of crafters from all walks of life, parts of the world, and various crafty backgrounds!

What we do: CRAFT in every way, shape, and form! We also blog and network!

How we do it: Via Email, Private Yahoo Group, Our Public Blog, and other social media!

Where we do it: Our Public Blog: http://scf-designteam.blogspot.com/ & Private Yahoo Group as well as email is our major forms of communication.

Why we do it: Because we love crafting and making new friends!

If this is something you would like to be a part of NOW is the time to send the following info to scfdesignteam@gmail.com – we are looking for people to jump in immediately!

What you will receive for being a DT Member of ours:

Between 2 and 4 ‘sets’ to work with per month from our major sponsor MyGrafico.com, Blog Exposure, access to our private Yahoo Group, DT Badges, etc.
(Sets may include Digi Stamps, Clipart, Digi Paper, and other Digital Files to work with how ever you see fit! No project restrictions! All Creations are welcome!)

What we ask of you each month: At least 1 project per set – so around 4 projects per month but feel free to do as many projects as you wish! The more the merrier! You MUST have a Blog and be willing to post your projects on it with appropriate links back to our sponsor MyGrafico.com! We ask that you participate in our monthly contest post and help us spread the word about our monthly contest. We are very flexible with deadlines. We will give you a target date for submitting your projects but understand “Life Happens” if you can’t make a deadline. This is an open-ended DT position! You can stay on for as long as you want! We want your time as a SCF DT to be fun and stress-free! We are a drama-free zone and a crazy bunch! If this sounds like something you want to be a part of – APPLY NOW!

--

Journaling Prompt Days 23-28

Day 23: What do you do in your spare time?  Beading, baking, scrapbooking!  Watch movies!

Day 24:  What are your favorite topics to scrap? My kids!  They are such hams for the camera, so I take TONS of pictures of them, so I have plenty to scrap with!

Day 25:  If you saw someone commit a crime, what would you do?  Call the police…. most likely anonymously, but I’d call!

Day 26:  What is the most important lesson, message, or advise that you have learned?   Life isn’t fair, but you need to make the best of every situation…. and no matter how bad things seem, it could be worse, and there is always someone worse off than yourself!

Day 27:  What books or movies have changed your life, if at all?  

Day 28:  What color do you think compliments you?  and why?  Black…. it’s slimming, enough said!

2011 Journaling Prompts Days 17-22

Day 17:  What has been the most touching image you've seen recently?     Friday on The View! The little boy that was bullied to the point of being videotaped, and stuffed in a tree, hung from a metal fence… They interviewed him on The View, and to top it off, 3 players from his favorite NFL Team (Eagles   YUCK) showed up to help cheer him up.  They brought gifts and the promise of any game he wants to go to next season.  They were just so nice to this young man, and i was in tears!  I hate the Eagles, but this brought to light the fact that there are a few good men on the team!!

Day 18:  (finish the statement)  When you're on top of the world....     It’s a LONG fall down!

Day 19:   What do you do instead of the project you're avoiding?    Play those damn addicting FB games!

Day 20: (finish the statement)  People are surprised to learn that you....    Met, fell in love with and Married my husband in the span of 7 months!  We met in January of 1999, started dating in June of 1999, and we were Married July 7, 1999!!

Day 21: How did you choose you pet or pet's name?          Lots of my pets are named for characters on Favorite TV shows… My Dog is Grissom (CSI) My Gecko is named ED… (the little gecko on Geico commercials sounds like the English guy on Extreme Makeover: Home, and his name is ED) The cats Gizmo (Gremlins) Sookie (TRUEBLOOD) Rowdy ( well he was named for my favorite NASCAR Drive Kyle “ROWDY” Busch… then there are my Dwarf Hamsters Both are named after Charecters from Sons of Anarchy (Jackson otherwise known as Jax & Prospect(as my husband calls him Half-sack…that was the guys nickname on the show)

Day 22:  Name everything you've done that you're proud of (things you've been able to attain that bring you happiness).....    this is something I have to come back to.   But my Top 3 accomplishments are MY KIDS!

2011 journaling Prompts Days 13- 16

Day 13:  If you could change your name, what would you change it to?  I wouldn’t want to change my name.  My name is unique, Not a whole lot of Melias in the world, and those there are don’t normally spell it the same way.

Day 14:  What bugs you?  LOTS of things… people who don’t know how to drive, or just choose to ignore the rules.  “Adult” who are ignorant to kids, ie: cutting in front of them in line at a store, not saying thank you when a child holds the door for them, generally just treating kids like they don’t deserve respect or courtesy because they are young.  People who talk loudly on cell phones in public.  People at concerts who feel the need to STAND through the entire thing… Not everyone want to stand up , but if the schmuck in front of me i, I have to if I want to be able to see anything…. People in line that feel the need to stand SOOOO close to you!

Day 15:  How would you cope if you lost everything you own?    As long as I still have my husband and kids, the material things can be replaced over time.  But I am sure i’d be a wreck about it!

Day 16:  In what small way have you been loving today?      hugs & kisses to my little ones of course… but also a Hand made gift for my Best Friend’s Birthday.

2011 Journaling Prompts Day 9-12

Day 9: If  I had the courage to speak my mind, I would say this:    In most cases, I am not afraid to speak my mind.  So I don’t know what to say to this one.

Day 10:  If you were to disappear today, who would be affected by this?   My parents, Husband, kids, grandmother…. as well as some more family & friends!

Day 11:  List 10 of your absolute worst pet peeves.   People who don't use their blinkers,  People  hwo let their children run like fools in the  stores, or other people’s homes….

Day 12:   List all your vacations, the year and with whom you went. OK, this is impossible! so i am giving a list of where,  Florida 3 times (twice as a kid once as a mother) Virginia Beach twice (once as a kid once in 1999, I was pregnant with my oldest)  LOTS of trips to the Poconos ( usually twice a year) Myrtle beach, A 9 day cruise with my husband in 2009!

2011 Journaling Prompts

DAY 1: Describe a dream that you had recently. Provide as many details as possible.
I dreamt that i was killed in a car crash, and my husband married his ex, and let her raise MY kids! NOT A HAPPY MOMMA!

DAY 2:  Do you like taking naps?  and why or why not?
Sometimes I do… Especially when I am sick.  Other than that, not a big fan of naps, a lot of times i wake up feeling crappier than when I fell asleep.

Day 3:  How would you describe your self-worth?
????? NO CLUE! I’ve never thought about it before, and now I am coming up blank.

Day 4:  What color is your birthstone?  Also, what is the meaning of your birthstone?  You might have to research that one..:)
RED, Ruby Red! 

Red is the color of health, strength, physical energy, sex, passion, courage and protection. It is associated with blood, birth, death and intense emotions.

Red symbolizes energy, excitement, strength, power, war and violence, and aggression. It is the color of love as seen in the red Valentine's Day heart and is also associated with anger as in "he's so mad, he saw red". When good fortune arrives it is called a "red-letter day".

and here is a chart of different nationalities and such that use Rubies for different months, or signs… 

Modern - July

Traditional - July


Mystical - July


Ayurvedic - July


Ayurvedic - December


Zodiac - Capricorn


Sun Sign (Star Sign) - Cancer


Sun Sign (Star Sign) - Capricorn


Planetary - Scorpio


Talismanic - Pisces


Hindu - January


Polish - July


Russian - July


Hindu - August


Arabic - December


Hebrew - December


Italian - December


Roman - December

Day 5:  What are the types of projects you procrastinate about?
Household chores! Scrubbing floors and ccabinets, moving the furniture to clean under and behind it.

Day 6:  What are you most thankful for in 2011 so far?
My families Health~

Day 7:  What is one thing you're facing now that you think you might not be able to do?

Day 8:  Under what conditions would you stay in a marriage if you weren't happy? NONE! it’s not healthy for anyone involved!~

60-day Journaling Challenge days 45, 46, & 47

OK so i lost the promts for days 43 & 44… so here are teh following 3… and then I will start fresh with the 2011 Journaling prompts provided through a scrapping group.

 

Day 45:You are going to make tomorrow different by................(fill in the answer) trying to be a more caring person. 

Day 46:The people or person you most admire...tell reasons why...  My father!  He has ALWAYS been by my side.  No matter what I could always count on my dad.

Day 47: Do you have special neighbors that do special things for you out of the blue?  journal about them today... No, but we have a special neighbor that we do things for.  He is really the only neighbor we ever even talk to. He is handicapped, so we like to do things for him. Shovel snow, rake leaves, mow the law, even help bring in groceries.  My kids even enjoy helping do things for him.

60-day Journaling Challenge Days 41 &42

Day 41:

What rules have you ever broken?  Were you ever reprimanded for breaking the rules?  and if so, how?

Oh boy, this is a loaded question. I will settle with YES I have broken rules, and YES I was reprimanded for breaking the rules.  My parents were not ones to let things slide. 

Day 42:Are you the type that "collects" things or do you live sparsely?

I am a collector, scrapbooking stuff, baking things, turtles…. Pictures, Borderline Hoarder I think sometimes.

60-Day journaling Challenge Days 39 & 40

Day 39:Tell about your own Family christmas Tradition, from when you were a child and todays.

As a kid I remembre My brother and I were allowed to open our stocking gifts before we woke mom & dad, they were just trying to get a few extra minutes of sleep! My Grandmom B had those awesome body sized stockings, and she FILLED em! And every year as long as I fit, I would climb in and see how much i’d grown….

Today we still go to my Grandmom L’s house to eat adn exchange gifts. I just don’t think it would be the same fi we didn’t.

 

Day 40:What was your favorite grade in school and why?

Probably 3rd grade.  We had just moved to a new house, and I started a new school. I met my first “best friend”.  His name was JP.  we played together constantly. 

An Amazing Birthday Wish

 

Hello everyone!  I am hoping to reach many of you on this special post...

My daughter Rio is turning 13!  OMG another teen in the house!  Two teens+one toddler= disasterous fun... on most days!  LOL

Okay okay, so let me tell you about the Special Image for my Special girl Rio with a Special Birthday request we got from her this year...

Every year I ask the kids what they want for their birthday.  Money, a trip, a party, or an overnight stay at Disneyland.... Rio came to me and said, "Mom, is it really really my choice what I get for my birthday?"  I told her of course!  So she says, "Ok, this year mom, I want money, but can I do anything at all with it? I mean anything I want mom?"  Again, I said of course.  "Okay, I want my birthday money to be donated to the children of St. Jude's hospital so they can have a special day, or whatever the money is needed for. I don't want to have money to just blow when I can help other kids that can't get out of bed, or go outside.  That's what I want for my birthday!"

Of course I was already choking on my tears before she finished her sentence!  What a marvelous request, selfless and special!  I had a special image made for her 13th birthday, and I have not told her about it, or shown it to her.  I am asking for a very special request myself in honor of my daughter's selflessness. 

The image is now available for $3.00, I am asking you all to purchase this special stamp and help me bring my daughter special birthday wishes by mailing off a card you make with the image to her... but wait that's not all... all I ask is for the special card to be mailed because the $3.00 made from every purchase will be donated to St. Jude's again in Rio's honor.  I am planning on taking her after her birthday to the hospital with the money we raise from this image and her birthday money as requested and giving it all to the hospital!

Her birthday is Feb. 8th, if you all could find it in your hearts to give my little girl that special card my mailing it to her I know it would make her day so special... she is always so grateful of the little things and my hope is to fill that mailbox of ours to the brim with Birthday cards!  I plan to gather all cards mailed to her from now until the 8th, and secretly putting them all in the mailbox along with her very favorite chocolates: York Peppermint Patties and Peanut Butter cups!   That evening after her birthday dinner I am going to ask her to walk down the street with me to the cluster boxes and have her open the mailbox (I am going to pretend I have not checked the mail all day of course) then BAM! they all pop out at her!  Whoohooo!  She will be thrilled once she realizes what exactly all those letters are.

So, would you all be willing to help Rio raise a little money for the kids and send off a card?  If so here is our mailing address and you can purchase the image at simplybettystamps.com under Rio the Birthday Girl digi!  She is the first (but limited edition) of six new Emos to come in the future!

Here is the image:  what do you think of it?  Pretty cute huh?  She's the special birthday diva turing 13!!  I will run this image for $3.00 until the 8th of Feb.  after that she will be gone for good.  So please be aware that she will be a very limited edition digi!  She may later make a debut in rubber but I am not making any promises, I will try my best if there is enough interest in her to be made into Rubber.  Thank you all for your support!  And please please please spread the word about this special fund raiser.  Thank you all again!

The Scrap Happy WItch: A Special Image for a Special Girl with a Special request...

*M*I*A*

So, I stopped half way through the 60-Journaling Challenge... but I will be picking it back up! My lap top died! It is back at Toshiba, luckily my husband gets me the LONGER warranty! But I have my Blog program on there, and really don't want to put it on the hubby's lap top, so those will have to wait. Also with the holidays I was pressed for time to craft......but that is all over now! I am back to my paper crafting, as well as my beading. Can't wait to share some Crafty Awesomeness with you all! Thanks to all my friends & followers! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & a Great new year!