Mail Call: May 23 - 28

Lots of goodies this week in the mail! Check it out:

Monday, May 23

• Zearly bag and info (PR & Giveaway for Frugal Fabulous Finds)
• Sample of Boogie Wipes (grape) & coupon for 50 cents off from Little Busy Bodies

Tuesday/Wednesday

•  I See Me Book (my second one – pr & giveaway for FFF)
• 1-800-Recycling stickers
• I like book (pr & giveaway for FFF)
• FREE Coupon for OreIda Sweet Potato Fries  

Thursday  

• Handstand Kids Mexican Cookbook (PR for FFF)

Friday 

• MyPublisher (3 out of 4 books I ordered)
• 4 FREE Father’s Day Shutterfly Cards I got with the CARD4GRAD promo earlier this month (the 5th one I had the company send for a birthday)
• All You Reality Checkers Sani-Surface Household Disinfectant Wipes
• M – Magazine for Kansas City Moms (June/July 2011)

Saturday 

• MyPublisher (the last book I ordered)
• Tiny Prints birthday card (for Daddy from the girls & I)

Arwen is 10 Months Old today!

Arwen Kinsley is 10 months old! I know I say it with each passing month, but it is so hard to believe how fast time is flying by. Last month just seems so far away...but it truly was only a month ago. I just know she is going to keep growing without hesitation...sigh...2 months until our baby turns 1! I am going to work on her invites sometime in the next week or so via Shutterfly.

Milestones
- weighs a little over 18 lbs
- has 6 teeth (three on top and three on bottom)
- can stand up on her own without help (I just know she will be walking any day!)
- still an amazing eater (she eats just about everything we do for all three meals - we just cut it up in smaller bites)...no more baby food!
- talking: duck, mama, dada, bubba, what's that?, thanks...she is just learning new words all the time!
- still loves to play/laughing all the time
- waving bye bye and hi
- very curious...crawling everywhere and into everything!

Its so hard to believe - looking back, that when Destin was this age was when we discovered Arwen was on her way :) I wouldn't have it any other way!

Until next time...I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Quick Giveaway

Before I forget, I wanted to share with you that I have a total of 4 Huggie's Pullups Potty Training Kits leftover from my Potty Training party a few months ago.

2 of them are a complete set w/dancing mat, dvd, coupon booklet, pamphlet and stickers.

The other two have include everything but the dancing mat. I also have one chart & door knob hanger that have to do with a "big kid in training".

The DVD is very informative, has games, songs and videos about potty training. Your little one will learn how to do the potty dance. The dance mat is about the size of a door. And the coupon booklet has coupons for pullups, Crayola, several Glade products, Shout & Ziploc (all expire 30 June 2011).  

So....I thought I would do a quick giveaway. Simply comment below saying why you would like to win this for your future potty training child. Don't forget to leave your email address so I can mail your prize to you!

Good luck! You have until Thursday, June 2nd to enter! The 4 winners will be announced Friday, June 3rd!

Three weeks

Its been almost three weeks since I actually sat down and took the time to post on my blog...and I really do miss it.

Each day that passes, the girls grow bigger, milestones are met, pictures are taken, memories are made and the list goes on...and yet, I still have not had the time to blog about our adventures. They aren't always exciting, but they are there in small fractions. I read in a book this evening, that when you write, you are sharing a piece of who you are, because the fear of people not knowing you is the most lonesome feeling of all. 

I think in some way, that is why I like to blog. I like to write about what happens each week, and share my thoughts and deepest feelings of the world around me. It may not be exciting or compassionate, but its there and I don't ever want to forget the life I have lived. Maybe someday in the future, I can share my traveling days to Europe, or my thoughts on divorce. There is so much out there that I think about constantly.

Hopefully I can find a day to catch up with all that has been happening and share it one day next week sometime.

I feel so overwhelmed right now with all that has been happening...

I get new products daily to do product reviews/giveaways for Frugal Fabulous Finds (which I love!) but I am very far behind. I just hope that I can catch up and not be stressed about getting it all done at once. 

With summer approaching, I know that I will have to get the girls outside more often - which means being a homebody cannot be an option. Destin just loves playing outside and going to the park. I hope we can actually find some friends for her to play with. I am starting to wonder if being around just Arwen and I all day is getting to her.

Money seems to be getting tighter and tighter with each passing week - even with Patrick working. It just seems like we are never going to get out of this rut. Is debt always going to be in our future? Will there always be a fear of not having enough to survive? I am just not sure what to do anymore...

This past week, my father (who is in the Army Special Forces) was severely injured doing a parachute jump. After a 7 hour surgery to fix his left shoulder (which was broken in 3 places), he is now in Colorado with my step mom who is helping him recover. It is very scary to think of what could have happened...we haven't seen him in over 5 months, and we haven't seen my step mom in almost 18 months.

The bad weather throughout the mid west - first in Redding, KS; then Joplin, MO and just recently Sedalia and other surrounding areas, in which we only live less than an hour away. Our DVR went out on Monday (which was very disappointing...we lost everything recorded over the last 4 - 6 months) and had no idea what the weather was doing today...then the sirens went off and Patrick called, and I realized I had to get to safety in our basement.

Thank goodness we were all safe and okay - the girls love playing downstairs in their playroom, and the dogs took a nap on the big King size bed that we have down there. And I just watched the news all the while hoping that a tornado wouldn't be close to us. A few did touch down in the metro and surrounding areas, but nothing to severe. Its just incredibly scary to have to wait and wonder what will happen.

I cannot imagine what all of those people who have lost their loved ones, those who were killed and those still missing, are going through. My heart goes out to everyone who is having to suffer through these horrible storms.

For now, I am off to get some more projects finished for FFF. I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Weekend. Let us never forget the brave men and women who fight for our country each day, and for those that have sacrificed their time, courage, family time, and their lives for each and every one of us. I am so proud to be an American. We may not be a perfect country, but we are still a very proud one.

Take care, Melissa

Mail Call: May 16 - 21

Wow! Its been a week since my last post...a week since I have even visited my blog and taken the time to read some of my favorites. Things are starting to get busy here...the girls, Patrick working (and being rained out a couple times), my dad getting hurt in a parachute jump, my job at Frugal Fabulous Finds and more....but I will save all that for another post!

It just seems like I cannot get caught up with all of the stuff I have been getting in the mail...so my plan is to do as much as I can this week

This post is all about....MAIL! And boy, have I been getting tons of it! Everyday I have been getting samples, freebies and TONS of products for Reviews and/or Giveaways for FFF. Wendy (my boss) transfered over the entire blog to Wordpress (on its own website)..so if you have been visiting - that's why it looks so different!

For all of you from FFF reading this...please checkout what you can look forward to in the next few weeks (as far as product reviews and/or giveaways!).

Monday, May 16

• Nikiwax Footwear Cleaning Gel (Product Review & Giveaway for Frugal Fabulous Finds)
• ‘Turning Points’ Magazine & Devotional
• FREE magnet from NEHA & American Chemistry Council (http://www.disinfect-for-health.org/) 
• ‘Guide to Veg Living’ from Veg for Life
• FREE Tony Hawk poster – Be Tobacco Free from CDC
• Fresh Baby ‘So Easy Baby Food Kit’ (PR & Giveaway for FFF)

Tuesday, May 17

• Google AdWords $100 GC (Not sure what this is…I need to check it out!)
• ‘Wag World’ Magazine from Beneful
• Parents Magazine (June) – I still haven’t read my entire issue from MAY!
• FREE Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor & Coupon (Patrick said these are pretty expensive)

Wednesday, May 18 

• Package from my Parents as Teachers lady for the summer 
• Package from Baby Legs (PR & Giveaway for FFF)
• Family Facts Pregnancy & Organizer Planner (PR & Giveaway for FFF)
• My Stuffie (PR & Giveaway for FFF)
• Sparkling 3D Paint Activity Kit from Creativity for Kids (PR & Giveaway for FFF)

Thursday, May 19 

• FREE coupon for Cottonelle wipes (my second one)
• FREE magnet from NEHA & American Chemistry Council (www.disinfect-for-health.org) – my second one
• Wild Animal Safari BOGO Free Admission (some place in Strafford, MO)
• FREE coupon for Purina Pro Plan Roasted Slices (dog treats)
• FREE (green) Coin Star bag (to put all of your coins in)
• Dress from Love Mode (PR & Giveaway for FFF)
• Package from Eco Foil (PR & Giveaway for FFF)
• Package from Zippity Doo’s (PR & Giveaway for FFF)

Friday, May 20

• Atkins FREE Weight Loss Kit (came w/3 granola bars, coupons, a book & more)

Saturday 

• Oliver’s Labels w/Arwen’s name on them ~ they sent me some new ones since her name was misspelled – I had to send the other ones back this week (PR for FFF)
• “Safe in the Arms of Love” book & CD (PR for FFF)
• Babies R’ Us coupons

5x7 Folded Card

We Heart Grandpa Father's Day 5x7 folded card

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

5x7 Folded Card

Happy Day Cocoa Father's Day 5x7 folded card

Browse our selection of modern graduation announcements.

View the entire collection of cards.

Mail Call: May 9 - 14

For the past 24 weeks, I have been writing about my "free samples", giveaways, and pretty much anything and everything that comes in my mail. Well, since the freebies and samples are dwindling down and I am now starting to get more products for reviews and giveaways with the blog I work for, Frugal Fabulous Finds...I think I will just start naming these posts "Mail Call: ___" and the dates.

This week, I got LOTS of stuff!! So here we go..

Monday, May 9

• "Back to Life" book (product review for FFF)
• Applied Labels with Destin's name (PR for FFF)
• Pear Tree - free cards for Teacher
• GlamourMom Tank (PR & Giveaway coming soon at FFF)

Tuesday, May 10

• Food & Wine magazine
• Purex with Zout sample & coupon

Wednesday, May 11

• Prefense Hand Sanitizer (a product review & current giveaway at FFF here)

Thursday, May 12

• Posters (total of 6) from Cabot Creamery - promoting eating dairy three times/day with famous skate/snow boarders on them
• Living the Country Life magazine
• Pampers Village (9-11 months) brochure with coupons
• Suave Professionals FREE coupon (my second one)
• Solutions magazine
• See Me personalized book for the girls (PR for FFF) - I called them because the binding looked like it was cut somehow & they are sending me a new one :)
• MaMi Skin Care "Sunny Days" Mineral Sunblock (spray bottle)
• Chocovenyl wallstickers called "Miniz" (PR for FFF)
• Liquid Gold Wood Wash & Spray (two full size products) via Tomoson (PR for FFF)
• Pampers Wipes I got via Amazon
• Incredibell Jellibell (a free accessory I got for doing a PR/Giveaway via FFF)

Friday, May 13

• Oliver's Labels (PR for FFF) - which they misspelled our last name :( Hopefully I can get some new ones...
• 'Thriving Family' magazine
• My adorable t-shirts from Second Blessings Children's Consignment Sale (a company I am doing a giveaway with at FFF). Aren't they cute???

Saturday, May 14
Nothing today :P

Please checkout all the links above to view these amazing companies and be on the lookout for the current & future giveaways at Frugal Fabulous Finds :)

Destin is 27 months old!

I can't believe Destin is 27 months old...I just know that the months are going to fly by and then she will be 3 years old!

Destin just amazes me everyday - she is so incredibly smart and has the vocabulary of a typical 3 year old. She learns new words everyday, and loves to read books.

We got this really neat kit called Teach My Toddler - which we have been using almost everyday...it teaches her ABCs (lower & upper), Numbers (up to 10), Shapes, and Colors. I can honestly say that I have seen a lot of results. She is starting to recognize letters, and knows all of her shapes & colors (on most days). I am hoping to hang up some posters with ABCs, and other learning things on her wall later next week.

Potty training - we are pretty much done! She still wears pull ups at night, because she still does not wake herself up to go. But during the day, she goes #1 & #2 whenever she has to go. Yay!

Sleep - still the same...sometimes she will stay in her bed all night, but sometimes she doesn't. And she is still starting out in our bed every night. I really hope that by her 3rd birthday she can start and end in her room - all night!

Eating - she is starting to become pretty picky on what she eats and seems to not be taking in as much as I would like her to. Granted, she is still growing and is very healthy - so I shouldn't complain. She loves fruit (any kind)! She LOVES pizza (she could eat it everyday if I let her). We usually get her the lunchables kind. She really likes Mac n Cheese, Corn dogs (minus the corn part), Corn, Ice cream, popsicles, cake, cookies, and of course all of the things that are NOT good for you! :)

Playing - she loves to go to the park, although lately she has been saying "I can't do it!". Which is very strange - because she is usually willing to do anything (she is a daredevil like her daddy was). She loves playing with her Little People animals/barn, playing in her tent, doing puzzles, pretending to cook/bake, legos, trains, playing with her babies (feeding them, putting them to sleep, singing to them, etc.). She is definitely well rounded and wants to do everything! Outside - she loves to drive her powerwheel from Christmas. She has finally figured out how to make it work :) She also learned how to ride her tricycle last week (thanks to Gma Melanie)!

Creating - she loves to color with crayons, markers, fingerpaint. And loves Playdoh (I hope to create some of our own to save money next time). She loves playing with chalk outside. She loves to help mommy bake too :)


Fav shows/movies - Dora, Diego, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Max & Ruby, Letter Factory, Toy Story, Astro Boy, and more!

Being a sister - I think it is very hard for her to understand that she has to share her toys, and time with mommy. Now that Arwen is crawling/mobile, she is into everything which includes Destin's room and her things. I have seen Destin push Arwen down several times over the last month or so, and I am not sure why she keeps doing this (timeouts, spankings and talking about it is not helping). I know she loves her sister, she gives her hugs & kisses all the time. And sometimes she even likes that Arwen follows her around - I just hope the pushing stops.

She is always singing, dancing and on the go all the time. I have started to take her to the park more often, and have found that she is getting a little better about staying with me. I am debating on going to library time this summer.

We had such a fun time at Happy Tails park yesterday (a dog park with a pretty cool playground on the outside gates)...I got some really great pics (see above) too! Don't you just love Arwen's outfit & Destin's hair clip? I got them from Coco Penny! I cannot wait to write up by blog review on FFF :) Here is my favorite one of Arwen that I took:

Have a wonderful weekend! Take care, Melissa

Weekend Recap ~ We Skipped Spring!

My husband, Patrick was laid off on Wednesday...which we were expecting, as the job he was on is just about finished. As an Ironworker, jobs only last as long as they are needed - and we were very lucky to have him on this current job because it was inside and there were never any rainouts/snow days - so he was pretty much guaranteed to work every day.

Luckily, we found out Friday afternoon that he would start a new job on Monday. His father, and three brothers are working on the same job - all as Ironworkers, and hopefully they will be there all summer! And what's even greater -- its only about fifteen minutes away from our house, so less money spent on gas! He was driving to and from Kansas everyday, and so I am sure he will be happy to not drive so much.

But since he had a couple days off - we took advantage of that time and went on a few family adventures...

Thursday
It was pouring down rain, and although I really wanted to go to Deanna Rose (a farm/park/play place in Overland Park, KS), we knew that the rain wouldn't let that happen. So instead, we drove by to see the buffalo and elk.

Then we drove out to Burr Oak Woods (in Blue Springs, MO) where we saw fish, birds, snakes, and more! All for free :) It was just nice to get out of the house - especially since I don't ever take the girls anywhere due to Destin still not wanting to stay with me when we go somewhere.

Later on that day...we had to drive downtown to take care of some insurance stuff - so we decided to visit Crown Center. I haven't been there since before Arwen was born (over 9 months ago - when we saw the free Clifford exhibit)...so it was nice to go back. The latest free exhibit (Under the Sea) ended last weekend, and the next one (Rainforest Adventure) doesn't start until the end of May..so we just "window shopped" at the Crayola store (where Destin got to draw a picture and play with chalk), the toy store (where we played with the extremely over-priced toys) and got a hat from the train restaurant (no we didn't eat there because we were trying NOT to spend money).

Friday
Patrick went fishing most of the day with his little brother...and later on in the afternoon Destin and I went to the local park up the street (just the two of us). I am not sure why, but she is now acting like she cannot go down the slides or climb anything (where before, she was a little money crawling, climbing and not scared of anything). Now she says - she needs help, or she can't do it. Its kind of strange!

Saturday
My mom & Uncle Joe came over to play for the day.

Sunday ~ Happy Mother's Day!
We decided after breakfast (that I made ~ cinnamon rolls) to visit the Zoo. And oh my goodness - the zoo was a zoo! I have never seen so many people there at one time! There were lines of people and cars at least 1/4 mile long! Maybe it was because it was FREE for moms to get in, and you got FREE icecream (just for the moms). Thankfully, we already have our wonderful "Friends of the Zoo" membership and just walked right in without having to wait.

We were only able to see a handful of animals due to the amount of people at each exhibit, and decided to not go to 'Africa' (which is an incredibly LONG walk down a bridge - which is under construction still anyway!). We rode the train (which Destin & Arwen loved!) and Destin rode the carousel twice (she didn't want to get off!). Hopefully next time we go, Arwen can ride too! With our membership - we have unlimited train, tram and carousel rides :)

Then we stopped by Chipolte on the way home for lunch - yum! And then I went to the grocery store (after making a very long price matching list for Walmart). I saved about $30 or more (I am still trying to find the exact figures) but still managed to spend over $100 - which had me pretty upset. I really need to sit down and figure out this whole budget thing. I mentioned that last week, I met an old highschool friend who let me borrow her Dave Ramsey book. And I have yet to even start reading it :( My goal is to get started on reading it this week sometime!

So, not a real exciting Mother's Day, but still good. I got to spend it with my amazing family, which is more than what some moms got to do. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Take care!

P.S. I will try to post some pics on here later this week when I have more time!

P.S.S. I also forgot to say why I said "We Skipped Spring!"...we went from cold, to rain, and now in the 90s here in Missouri! There was really no days of spring - but maybe one or two days in the beginning of April. And NOW -- All of our windows are open, fans going and attic fan is on to keep us cool - but we are all still sweating. I am hoping that we can hold off on the A/C for a few days, but its not looking good! Especially since Arwen woke up crying last night from being so hot!

Free Samples ~ Week 24

Oh my goodness! I had a busy week of freebies, mail, samples, goodies and more in my mailbox this week!!! I cannot wait to do all the product reviews and giveaways for Frugal Fabulous Finds!!

Monday & Tuesday

• Shutterfly 5x7 card (Mother's Day freebie)
• Snapily animated cards x 2 (Mother's Day freebies)
• Country Crock Coupons for 75 cents off from smile.ly
• Suave (free bottle) Professionals coupon
• "daddy dates" by Greg Wright (book from Book Sneeze for Frugal Fabulous Finds - FFF)
• "The Chocolate Diaries" by Karen Scalf Linamen (book from Blogging for Books for FFF)

Wednesday

• Maternity Shirt from Kiki's Fashions (product review for Kiki's Fashions for FFF) - Giving this to a friend who is pregnant to test out :)
• Kraft First Taste ~ Breakstones Cottage Doubles freebie coupons
• Kraft First Taste ~ Kraft Philadelphia Shredded cheese freebie coupons
• Mothers Day card from my mom :)
• M ~ The Magazine for Kansas City Moms
• Similac Coupons (which I will not use...if you know anyone that would send me an email or comment on here!)
• Uncle Ben's Ready Rice FREE coupon
• Summit Woods Crossing coupons (a local mall near our house)
• Box of goodies from Wendy at Frugal Fabulous Finds - freebies & product review stuff (Coupon organizer, book, labels, and more!!)
• Polar Pillow (product review for FFF)
• Costume for Destin (product review for FFF)

Thursday

• Grad invite for Pat's cousins' girlfriend - very sweet of her :)
• Baby shower invite for my cousin's 4th baby
• My "Moo" business cards x 10 - ALL FOR FREE! (I got pics of the girls & our family on them - then put our address, email, and Shutterfly site & this blog on it)
• Itzbeen baby timer (product review for FFF)
• Le Bibble Bottle bib (product review for FFF)
• Coco Penny goodies ~ onesie & matching hair band for Arwen, and hair bands for Destin (product review for FFF)

Friday

• World Wildlife Fund bookmark & info
• Free headset (from 1SaleADay.com)
• Roll of wallpaper from Graham & Brown (product review for FFF)

Saturday

• Digital Photo magazine

"Two Moon Princess" by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

"Two Moon Princess" (published April 2010)

Written by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban

Description

Middle Reader (Ages 10+), 320 pages
978-1-933718-12-5, cloth, $15.95
978-1-933718-27-7, paperback, $8.95
Guided reading level: Z; Grade level: 7 & up; Reading Recovery level: NA
To Andrea, the life of a princess is not a dream; it's tedious and stifling. But the certainties of her life, both good and bad, are thrown into chaos when she accidentally travels to an alternative world, from a cave on a forbidden beach in her family's kingdom to the warm and carefree life of Southern California. Then a careless visit to the cave results in terrible consequences: a brewing war between kingdoms, her sister's love for the wrong man, Andrea's own conflicted feelings for an enemy leader, and dark family secrets exposed. Andrea needs to act to resolve problems which she helped to create, and she faces many difficult choices, torn between duty and desire on so many levels. Readers will enjoy the mix of traditional elements of the fantasy genre, with fresh ideas and a look at our culture through the eyes of a stranger.


First-time author Carmen Ferreiro, originally from Spain, currently resides in Doylestown, PA, near Philadelphia. Visit Carmen on her website at www.carmenferreiroesteban.com
My thoughts...
I have to say that I absolutely loved this book...every page enticed me in some way, and made me want to learn more about Princess Andrea. I love fantasy books, and this one will definitely go on my favorites list.

When I was growing up, I was always dreamed of being a princess, and might have envied the life of Princess Andrea, the heroine of Two Moon Princess. She lives in a castle in a world resembling medieval Spain. Horses, servants, beautiful scenery--what's not to like? But for Andrea, a headstrong young woman, that life is stifling. She'd rather train to be a knight, but her fourteenth birthday is only months away, and she must become a "lady." That means staying inside the castle, learning to curtsy and smile and do needlework ad nauseam. No more hunting in the woods.

One day, in the midst of this unwanted transition, Andrea is accidentally transported to modern California. Now we're talking! Andrea is awed by the freedom of the teenagers she meets on a beach. Here as well, she sees her uncle, and is taken to his beautiful home. He travels freely between the two worlds by entering a forbidden cave on the night of a full moon, and tells Andrea she must return to her father's kingdom the next month. But knowing Andrea as we do, it won't be that easy.

Unfortunately, her plans don't work out, and her return to the Kingdom of Zeltia is accidental. She brings back a California boy who falls in love with the lore and swordplay of Zeltia and puts his life at risk.

The relationships between Andrea and her parents, her sister, and the young men she is attracted to in both worlds, are expertly drawn. These are no two-dimensional characters. The author skillfully exposes the motivations of everyone who plays a role in Andrea's burgeoning adolescence. We see both the good and bad sides of people who have the heroine's best interests at heart.

Andrea matures during the course of the story, traveling from her world, which has two moons, to California and back again. She gets into more than a few hair-raising predicaments along the way, but this is no "damsel in distress" story. Andrea keeps busy saving a life or two on her own, learns to accept help, and never gives up trying for the best outcome for everyone in her parallel lives.

This is a princess story to keep a young adult reader turning the pages until the end. Even after the last word, though, you'll wonder what happens to Andrea next. Lucky for us, the author has written a sequel called The King In the Stone for the same publisher.

I would definitely recommend this book - for ages 12 and up!

Thank You so much Net Galley and Tanglewood Books for allowing me to read this book! I cannot wait to read more books from you in the future!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this books free from the publisher through the Net Galley review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Weekend Recap

We didn't have a real exciting weekend...but here is a recap in case you are interested! Also, a bunch of pics from last week and over the weekend are included too :)

Arwen pulled herself up for the first time last week! And I took a pic before she fell over :)

Arwen is BIG mess maker these days...she usually looks like this after every meal! Fun times!

Destin all ready to go outside and play!

Friday

The girls and I went to Music with Mar at 9:30 AM with Lee's Summit Parents as Teachers...there weren't very many people for the morning session - but we had lots of fun! Destin wanted to be the center of attention and be in the front of the room with the teacher who was dancing/singing/clapping and more!   

Then I took the girls to the park by Target and met an old highschool friend. She let me borrow a book about saving money/budgeting written by Dave Ramsey. Maybe that will help us in the long run - we will just have to see!

After playing at the park, we headed home, ate lunch...daddy came home and we played outside after dinner. The weather is still just a hit/miss thing here - some days its beautiful outside, and the next day its chilly fall weather. I just wish it would stay constant.


Saturday
Patrick got some FREE sod for our backyard! Yay! We definitely needed it! I just hope it stays...I am hoping we can get some more for the rest of the backyard. Daisy & Duke have just tore up the yard over the last 4 years, and its just a big mud hole in various areas.

We ate lunch, then went to the "pirate" park (which turned out to be kind of lame!) and then to the playground at Great Beginnings Early Childhood Center. Destin just loves their playground!

Sunday

We chose the absolute WORST day to go to the Zoo!! It was cold, then it rained and there was sleet! AHH! But we had fun in the short time we were there...we got to see the construction of the new Sky Safari ride they are working on in Africa. We learned about the lions...the zoo keeper was there talking about them.

Watching the Polar bear take a swim!

The girls eating a snack while we waited out the rain :( 

Ate lunch, came home then went to the grocery store (all of us) at Price Chopper. I really wish they did double-coupons or had better deals on their stuff. But since its the closest place to our house, we always end up going there for our groceries.

Monday & Tuesday

Pretty much, just stayed home...played outside or in the playroom in our basement with the girls. Worked on deals/Frugal Fabulous stuff and more!

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Take care!