Bloggers-50 FREE Holiday Cards from Shutterfly!

I love Shutterfly! I first heard about them from my cousin who does everything through them for her pictures of her kids. Until last year I never had a reason to use them because I wasn't going to send cards of just myself to friends and relatives. Now that I got married I was joining the ranks of everyone that sends out photo cards to everyone near and far. So I went to Shutterfly and that is where I fell in love with their selection and service. I had such a hard time making a decision about which card to use last year. This year is going to be just as difficult. I have also used Shutterfly to order prints from our wedding and now with little man here, will be doing the same this year. I appreciate how quickly they get an order printed and shipped. Since I tend to procrastinate on things, ordering cards and getting them within a week is wonderful!

Why blog about this? Because Shutterfly is offering bloggers a promotion for 50 free cards for blogging about this promotion. Who couldn't use free cards?

Here are a few contenders for this year's card:

Other products I love:

Photo Books:  http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books

Wall Calendars:  http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

Holiday Cards:  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

So take some time and check Shutterfly out!

New Windows!

Our new windows were finally installed yesterday. They are wonderful and have made such a huge difference on the noise level and of course no drafts either! The tax credit was an added bonus. Now that we have the new windows, I have been bitten by the redecorating bug. If only I had the money to do everything I want. Here are a few pics. The window I love the best is the kitchen window. It went from an up & down to a slider, such a difference when you look outside.

The kitchen window before:

After:

 Living room before:

After:

The end...a day late

I am completing the 30 Day Challenge today, at 31 days. I have 5 days to talk about so let's get started.

Day 26 - your week, in great detail

My weeks are usually the same. Ever since little man cam into our lives, our lives as we knew them changed. It is all about him and his needs, as it should be.

Monday-7:30-ish get woken up if I'm not already up, feed little man, play then make breakfast for little man and myself. When we're done with breakfast, get him dressed and me if I haven't already. Go to the park and walk 45 minutes-an hour (little man is usually napping for this). Come home feed little man, play, make lunch for us, play a little more and put him down for his afternoon nap. This is usually when I get on the computer and clean up. When he wakes up, feed him, load him up and go to my mom's for dinner. Hubby meets us there. We all eat dinner, I feed little man one last time and we pack up and go home around 7:30. He usually falls asleep on the way home, so when we get there, put him to bed. Then I get on the computer again sometimes while hubby works out. Usually in bed between 10-11.


Tuesday-Same as above except insert dinner at mother in law's for my mom.


Wednesday-same as above plus: 10:45am we go to story time at a local library or a mom's group that meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Make dinner. We actually eat at home this night! I may also have a play date with my friend some Wednesdays too.

Thursday-same as above plus: 10:00am we go to story time at a local library. I do take him to two different libraries for story time. I wanted to see if I liked one over the other and I like this one better. The hubs plays volleyball this night, so I do dinner for just me and little man

Friday-same as above plus: One Friday a month, I go to a moms group. Start dinner unless we go out when hubby gets home.

Saturday & Sunday-same as above but usually run errands and go to church. 

We try to do date night once a month too. That is so important when you have a little one. It is important even if you don't have kids. We used to have date night once a week, so we feel for right now once a month is good for us.

Day 27 - my worst habit

Procrastination! I couldn't even finish this challenge on time. Enough said.

Day 28 - what's in my handbag/purse

Right now my handbag/purse is a diaper bag and here is what I always carry with me:  wallet, phone, chap stick, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, bib, nursing cover, travel first aid kit, hand sanitizer, teething ring, toys, disposable bags for dirty diapers, hat, blanket and the most important items an extra set of clothes for little man and me.

Day 29 - hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

For the next 365 days I hope to become more confident as a mother and wife. I also want to work on my procrastination.  I hope little man grows up big and strong and stays healthy. I hope my husband enjoys the job he has and quits doubting himself. He is doing a great job providing for our family. I wish he knew what an amazing man he is, and what so many people see in him.


My dreams for the next year are to work on making our house a home. Decide if this is where we are going to stay for awhile or if we will in fact move sooner rather than later. I would also like to decide what I want to do with my life career wise. I am thankful I am able to stay home right now but it isn't going to last forever. Adding to our family is also a dream. Little man needs a little brother or sister or maybe twins!


Plans for the next year: be the best wife and mother I can be. I want to cook great meals for my family. Which entails me learning how to cook. Baking I can do, cooking not so much. Make little man's childhood wonderful and full of the things the hubs and I didn't have. I want my husband to be proud of me and know that all of his hard work is appreciated to allow me to fulfill my goals and dreams. I want to do the same for him.

Day 30 - a dream for the future

When I reenter the workforce, I want to do something I love or can at least tolerate better than my last position. I have a few ideas, but need to really sit down and think about what I want to do and what would make me happy to do for the rest of my life.

Day 25 - Your Day, In Great Detail

My days are generally the same give or take an activity or 2. I usually am woken up anywhere between 5-6:30 by little man wanting to eat. So I get up, feed him and then usually put him back down for an hour or two. I try to stay awake and start my day but depending on how many times he got up during the night I may go back to sleep too. Yes, he isn't sleeping through the night yet and we were at a point where I only was getting up once a night but recently he has been getting up anywhere from 2-4 times a night. I'm assuming it is a growth spurt or teething or a combo of the two.

When little man does get up for the day, I feed him breakfast now that he is having solids and I try to eat my breakfast at the same time. Then we get dressed for the day. Afterwards we play for a bit, then it is time for him to nurse again. When that is done we try to go to the park. I love taking him for walks, especially now with the leaves changing color. He is such a curious little guy and is always looking around in wonderment. The fresh air usually also puts him to sleep, so he gets a nap in. Depending on the day, we also might go to story time at the library or I joined a moms group that meets once a month. No matter what I try to get out of the house for a little bit each day.

Then we go home and it is nursing/lunchtime. We play or read for a little bit and he goes down for his afternoon nap. During that time I get on the computer or clean or do laundry. There is always something to do. When he wakes from his nap, another nursing session. Then we play and wait for daddy to get home. When the hubs gets home, he plays with little man while I get dinner ready (unless it is a day we go to my or his mom's, then we meet over there). We eat dinner at the dining room table. After that, it is bath time for little man. One last nursing session and off to bed for him. When he is down for the night, then the hubs and I get to talk about our day and I am usually in bed by 10 or 11 because I never know when I am going to get my middle of the night wake up call(s).

Challenge Days 21-24

Our internet has been down for the past 2 1/2 days. It was bad in one respect because every time I wanted to look something up I realized, I couldn't. No Facebook, email, nothing. It was also good because when little man went down for a nap, I got to read some and actually finished the book I was reading and talked about in Day 20. What did we do before we had the internet? 

I am going to write about the challenge day 21-24 which takes me through Sunday.

Day 21 - a recipe

I am not a cook by any means and this is one area I would love to improve upon. My goal right now is to cook one meal a week with leftovers. We currently go to my mom's house and my husband's mom's house for dinner during the week so that is 2 days I don't need to cook. We also get leftovers from them. Hubby plays volleyball one night a week, so I don't make dinner for myself. We try to go out to dinner one night a week. So if I cook a meal once a week we should be covered. This recipe is from one of my my besties, Donna. It is so good and so easy and different from your regular pizza.


Ranch Chicken Pizza
Pizza dough (I get mine form a local Italian store)
Boneless Chicken Breasts or Tenders
Ranch Dressing
Roma Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese


Grill/Brown Chicken separately (I usually use 1-2 breasts depending on size or 4-6 tenders)
Flatten dough on pizza sheet
Cover with thin layer of ranch dressing
Add chicken, then cheese and tomatoes
Cook according to dough directions.

Enjoy!

Day 22 - a website
 
Right now my go to website to save money is  Money Saving Mom.
The tag line for this website is Helping you be a better home economist. Who doesn't want that? It has great ideas and tips on how to save money, which is important to me, as I'm sure it is to anyone. She has deals of the day as well as great ideas, you can also subscribe to stores near you to get their deals as well.

Day 23 - a youtube video

This video is Cleveland's response to LeBron's Nike commercial. Yes we were upset when he left, but it was his decision. Do I agree with it? No, but he's young and living his life the way he wants to, this is our response to it. Looking forward to seeing what happens when he comes back to town.


Day 24 - where I live

I have no photos of our house. But as we do home improvement projects I will, so you'll have to come back and see this one. We have a split level house and a great back yard. I'm not a fan of the split level, but this was my husband's house before we started dating.  My biggest complaint is no storage. We have no attic and no basement, so when i moved in, we put all my stuff in the spare bedroom which then became little man's room. I have thrown stuff out as has my husband but we still have things that need to be stored. They are currently being stored in either my husband's office or our guest bedroom. So when we do move, I will make sure we have storage.

Day 20 - A Hobby Of Yours

These days I don't have much time for hobbies. Little man has me occupied quite a bit. One hobby of mine I am getting into during late night feedings (3 last night-ugh) again is reading. I love to read and am always looking for new books. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know. Right now I am reading:

For those of you that watch True Blood on HBO, this is the first book that the series is based on. I am enjoying the book but after seeing the show, I have preconceived ideas of what the characters look like and I'm not sure I like that at all. Plus I think there are characters in the show that aren't in the book. As I'm reading, I'm thinking to myself, that not what happened on the show. I don't know if I'll continue with the series or not. I want too but the show is still fresh in my mind, so maybe that is ruining the books for me.

Day 19 - A Talent Of Yours

A talent, I don't know that I would say I have a talent. I am a good listener but that isn't a talent is it? I enjoy art, creating and looking at. I wouldn't say it is a talent of mine though. Sculpture is my favorite to do, but unrealistic at home. No kiln to fire any pieces in. I love going to museums and galleries and seeing what other people create and try to figure out their reason for making what they made.

Blog Challenge days 17 & 18

Well I only missed 1 day this weekend with the challenge, not too bad. Halloween was a busy day going to both grandparent's houses and then getting home for trick-or-treaters. I was disappointed this year, they were all older kids and not as many as last year. I love seeing all the cute costumes for the little kids. Oh well, the older kids made out at the end of the night because we gave handfuls of candy away, so we wouldn't eat it all. Of course we did keep some of our favorites. On to the challenge.
Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
Monet's Water Lillies is one of my favorites.

Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding

Here are a few pics from our big day:

 

Day 16 - A Song That Makes You Cry (or nearly)

The first song that came to mind is Michelle Featherstone's We Are Man and Wife, our wedding song. Her voice is amazing and the lyrics are beautiful. Enjoy!

Day 15 - Your Dream House

The half way point of the challenge. My dream house would have a wrap around porch, huge backyard and on the back of the house an outdoor entertaining area with built in grill/kitchenette/bar/fireplace. I think I would also like a in ground pool. A huge kitchen with center island, a breakfast nook off the kitchen, family room, living room, formal dining room, finished basement, 3 bathrooms (1 for me, 1 for my husband and 1 for the kids), and 4 bedrooms at least. I would also like the laundry room to be on the same level as the bedrooms. I don't like first floor master suites, I want all bedrooms on the second level. A man cave for my husband and an art room for me. I also want plenty of storage space. That is a problem in our current house, we have stuff and no-where to store it because our we have a split level house and there isn't an attic and our "basement" is part of our living area.. I would love for it to be all brick. That sounds like it could happen right?

Then the backyard:

Then for a dream house to have anywhere, a house in  Hawaii near the ocean:

to look at this everyday

Now wouldn't that be nice?

Day 14 - A Non-Fictional Book

I am not a big non-fiction fan. I don't know why, I just really haven't gotten into reading about other people's lives or history. The last non-fiction book I remember reading is Freakonomics. I thought it was a good book and had some interesting points. I also read that they have turned this book into a movie. I'm not sure why they would do that, but maybe it would be a good film?  This is a list of the books chapters:

Chapter 1: What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?
Chapter 2: How is the Ku Klux Klan like a Group of Real-Estate Agents?
Chapter 3: Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?
Chapter 4: Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
Chapter 5 : What Makes a Perfect Parent?
Chapter 6: Would a Roshanda by Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?

 

Day 13 - A Fictional Book

I love all things vampire. Ever since I read my first Anne Rice book I was hooked. I think I have read everyone of her books. Books, movies, TV shows, if its about vampires I'll check it out. The funny thing is, when Twilight came out, I didn't read the book and it wasn't until I saw the movie that I was intrigued and yes all 4 books hooked me. I prefer the books to the movies actually. I began to watch True Blood and now want to read the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I have not started those yet. The book I'm going to talk about is called The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I loved this book! It has some of my favorite genres: thriller, suspense, mystery, and of course vampire lore. I loved the way she used letters to reveal the more thrilling aspects of the story bit by bit. This kept me in that "I'll just read ten more pages" mode on many a late night. It is a big book, 656 pages and at times I wondered if I would get through it, but I did and it was well worth it. Check it out.

Day 12 - Something You Are OCD About

I'd like to think I'm not OCD about anything, but I know we all have something about us that's a little quirky. The first thing that came into my mind when looking at today's challenge was silverware. Whether we are out to eat or eating at home, the silverware has to be lined up straight, and in the proper position. So when we are out to eat after ordering, I place my napkin in my lap and put my fork(s) to the left and knife and spoon to the right and make sure they are lined up evenly. My husband thinks it is hilarious to mess them up and he'll do it while we're talking and I immediately have to fix what he did. I have no idea why this bothers me, but if you have some insights, please share!

30 Day Challenge-days 7-11

I've been MIA for a few days and I've missed blogging. My son is teething now so he hasn't been napping and getting up 2-3 times a night. That gives me no down time and I was getting up when my husband left for work but I've been so tired, I've opted to sleep. Hopefully this will pass soon. But here are the challeges I missed plus today's challenge.

Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy

This was a hard one. I have  so many pictures that make me happy. While this picture is blurry, it does make me happy. I love fireworks and this picture was taken on our honeymoon. We were in Maui for the 4th of July holiday and they shot the fireworks off in a boat on the water that went up and down the town of  Lahaina. It was so much fun.

Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad

This photo was taken during our engagement photo session. No that doesn't make me sad or angry, but what does make me sad is the park where it was taken and we go to quite frequently remodeled this area. In their remodeling, they got rid of the bench we were sitting on, OUR bench! Every time we went to this park we sat on this bench, now it is no more. It was right next to the water and we could watch the ducks and turtles on the island out there and the fish that swam nearby us. Now there are no benches along the water and that make me sad.

Day 9 - a photo you took

Another honeymoon picture. One day we took a tour and drove the road to Hana with 3 other couples and our tour guide. The first stop we came to was this area of trees that are known as painted trees. The bark is amazing and has many different colors. It was so neat to see.

Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

Now this photo was taken over 7 years ago but I don't have any older pictures on my computer. This was our first trip to The Fingerlakes when we first started dating. We went with 2 other couples. It was over Memorial day weekend in 2003. I am in a turtleneck because the morning we go to leave for our trip I wake up with hives all over my body! I was on antibiotics and had an allergic reaction to them. I was not missing this trip for anything. When we got there, we went to the local Wal-Mart and got Aveeno bath soak. I knew he was a keeper!

Day 11 - a photo of you recently

This picture was taken on Mother's Day I don't have many pictures of me because I'm usually the one taking the pictures. I'll have to work on that.

Day 6 - 20 Of My Favorite Things

In no particular order except for #1 & #2
1. My husband
2. My son
3. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes
4. Fall
5. Spring
6. Red wine
7. Leaves changing colors
8. Flowers blooming
9. Smell of fresh cut grass
10. My favorite pair of jeans that fit just right
11. My family
12. My friends
13. Margaritas
14. Smell of my son after his bath
15. Warm, sunshiny days
16. Walks in the park
17. Smell of anything fresh baked
18. DVR
19. Celebrity gossip sites
20.  Maui

Window Shopping

When my husband and I got married, he already had a house so I moved in with him after the wedding. I like his house, yes I still call it his house even though I've been there for over a year. The one thing I don't like is he lived there for 8 years before me and seeing as it was a bachelor pad, it was not as clean as I'm used to, not really decorated and needs some TLC (OK, a LOT). We've gone back and forth about buying a new house to call "ours" or stay here. Like I said, I like the house. It is in a great location to shopping and freeway access and the yard alone is worth it, but to me it is still hubby's house, not ours.

In order to sell our house and get decent money, we do need to do some things on the house: siding, roof, driveway repair and windows. Our first decision was to get the windows done. So I called 3 companies to come out for estimates. I had no idea what we were in for! Company A came out and after 2 1/2 hours, my head was ready to explode with all the information. Between the light test to feel the heat, double pane, triple pane, lines or no lines, half screen or full and design of the outside windows, wow. Who knew window shopping was so involved and so expensive? Not this apartment dwelling girl! They also check for lead paint since our home was built in the 1970's. Company A said all was clear, phew, no extra cost for that removal. We had our appointment with Company B later on that day, what were we thinking? Even my husband was exhausted after the first appointment. Same talk, but more condensed, only 2 hours. The interesting thing, he did the lead test and it came back positive! So added expense for old window removal, WTF Company A, were you lying about the lead because you wanted to keep costs down? Having a baby in the house we would rather be cautious. Now we liked this guy and know many people that went with this company. He made us an offer we countered, he came back with a number much more to our liking and then we sent him outside so we could discuss as he wanted/needed and answer then and there. Another tactic I hate that salespeople do, but after 4 hours of out lives wasted hearing about windows we were ready to make a decision. Sorry Company C. So after a 20 minute discussion, we got him down about $3500 less than what he first offered us and we accepted.

Yay to new windows! Hopefully by the middle of December they will be in. We get to take advantage of the tax credit too, so that's a bonus. And so we begin our home improvement process. Pictures will come as we get started.

Day 5 - Your Favorite Quote

I don't know that I have a favorite quote, but this one by Dr. Seuss is one I like a lot.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

Day 4 - Your Favorite Book

I love to read and am always looking for a good book. My favorite by far is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I first heard about it on Oprah, it was one of her book club reads, so I thought I'd check it out. Wow, is all I can say. Such a moving and heartbreaking book all in one. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

Day 3 - Your Favorite Television Program

Modern Family, I love it! Always funny and definitely can relate to many things on this show. The hubby and I look forward to watching it together and is one of the few shows we agree on.

Day 2 - Your Favorite Movie

This is my all time favorite movie and I could probably quote any part of it if you asked me too. It was on the WE channel last night too!

Day 1-Your Favorite Song

This is a tough one for me, I have so many favorites. The first song that popped into my mind is Alison Krauss When You Say Nothing At All. We used it for our anniversary dance at our wedding. I love the words and the way she sings.



It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What's being said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The 30-Day Challenge

For the next 30 days, here is what you'll be learning about me:

Day 1 - your favorite song

Day 2 - your favorite movie

Day 3 - your favorite television program

Day 4 - your favorite book

Day 5 - your favorite quote

Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things

Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy

Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad

Day 9 - a photo you took

Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

Day 11 - a photo of you recently

Day 12 - something you are OCD about

Day 13 - a fictional book

Day 14 - a non-fictional book

Day 15 - your dream house

Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding

Day 19 - a talent of yours

Day 20 - a hobby of yours

Day 21 - a recipe

Day 22 - a website

Day 23 - a youtube video

Day 24 - where I live

Day 25 - your day, in great detail

Day 26 - your week, in great detail

Day 27 - my worst habit

Day 28 - what's in my handbag/purse

Day 29 - hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Day 30 - a dream for the future

A little about me

So I figured for a first post, I should tell you a little about myself. I was married in June 2009 to the love of my life. We decided to start trying for a family right away and in August found out we were going to be parents! Our son was born in April. He is the light of our lives and while being a parent is quite challenging at times, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am still sleep deprived and wonder when he will start sleeping through the night, but his smiles and laughs make any difficulties worth it. Now this blog won't be just about my son, but of course there will be times I do mention him. I think to get me started in the blogging world, I am going to do the 30-Day Challenge that is going around. That way, you'll get to know me and I will get more comfortable blogging. I'll start the challenge tomorrow.