Funny Kate Stories....

Kate Olivia
 2 1/2 years old


We  just celebrated Kate's 3rd Birthday, so I thought I would do a post in honor of her.  She is my little mischievous girl and always has been!  I love her to pieces,  but she is a mess!  She has done things my other two never thought about doing.  She is my funny girl who always keeps me laughing and makes me glad she is my last. :)  Maybe she isn't more mischievous than my first two.....maybe I'm just too busy to catch her before she gets into something.  Here are some examples of my sweet, funny girl in action...

 Putting cereal on her head when she was One.  

 Looking cool in sunglasses

Playing Dress up at Reagan's 8 year old birthday party

Getting into the diaper cream. 

 Marking all over herself with a red marker.

Yes, that is what you think it is....

Putting on eye makeup

Painting her toenails

Taking a bath in the sink

Falling asleep on the bar

She has her own sense of style and wants to dress herself without any help. 

Biting her sister on the belly 

Gave herself a haircut with super short bangs on the morning of her 3rd Birthday. 

Can't wait to see what the future holds!  :)  I love you, Kate Olivia! 

Amy B. 

Black Friday Week at Amazon!!

Last year I discovered that Amazon had Black Friday Week and I bought a lot of our Christmas presents this way. We have the Prime Account so everything was shipped to our house for FREE, so that means I get to shop at home in my PJ's and not drag my 2 year old out to the stores....so easy!!

  I have been looking forward to them having this sale again this year and it starts TODAY!  You need to bookmark this page and check back on a regular basis because they have "Lightning Deals" throughout the day and once they sell out, it's gone.  Amazon does the work for you.  They search for the best Black Friday deals everywhere--including deals other stores are planning--so they can meet or beat their prices and bring them to you even earlier.


I loved this movie and here it is for $3.99! 

Another two of my favorites for only $5.49!   These would make great gifts for your best girlfriends or sister.... The Notebook and P. S. I Love You

If you are looking for a great Christmas CD, you've got to check out "Straight No Chaser."  These guys sing acappella and are amazing!  It's a great buy for $7.49.

These are just a few deals that I saw this morning.  There will be tons of other great deals in every category like toys, electronics, housewares, etc.  Go ahead and check it out!

Amy B. 

Favorite Beauty Products

I just realized that almost everything on my favorite things list for today are all beauty products!  I must either be really vain or it takes a LOT to get me looking decent enough to go out of the house.   Ha!  I guess these products stick out in my mind because I use them almost every day and can't imagine going without them.  So here are a few of my favorite things....

Root Pump Plus - Love this stuff!  Hair goes from flat to fab! - cheapest place to buy is at TJ Maxx or Marshalls if you can find it there

Clinique CreamShaper for Eyes (Egyptian)  Glides on so easily...the perfect deep olive green but almost black color.  

Matrix Sleek Look Shampoo and Conditioner - tames the frizzies and leaves hair smooth & sleek  

NanoPro Babyliss Titanium Flat Iron - This is a splurge item but soo worth it!!  

LOVE this stuff!  Arbonne's Ginger Citrus Body Butter - Best hand lotion ever!  

Mac Eyeshadow (Retrospeck) This is my newest favorite thing.  A friend just got this for me as a gift and I'm already hooked.  It is the perfect goldish/cream shimmery eyeshadow.  

Even though I only have a few grays, I look forward to doing this once a month because it makes my hair so shiny and soft.  Leaves it feeling like it's been deep conditioned.  

So there you have it.  Some things I couldn't live without to make me presentable.  I'm thinking I need to divide my fave things up in sections like cleaning products, recipes, books, etc.   What are some of your favorite things?  


Check out 320 Sycamore's Favorite Things Party... 

Grits

These are the most awesome grits ever!  I make a huge crockpot full for our Sunday School class occasionally and the pot is always scraped clean.  I get asked for this recipe a lot so thought I would share it here.  When I make it for a large group, I triple this recipe.   First, cook it on the stovetop and then transfer to a crockpot.

Mix & bring to a boil the following, stirring occasionally:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups water
1 stick butter

Slowly pour into the mixture 1 cup instant grits and simmer  about 10 minutes or until thick.
Optional:  Add shredded cheese, bacon bits, salt & pepper to taste.

Christmas Wish List Registry

I may be the last person in America to know about this, but I thought just in case I'm not  I would share it with you.  This week my sister, Cindy, and my great friend, Heather, both told me that you can let your kids register for things they want for Christmas at Target or Toys R Us.  What a great idea!  Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts,  & Cousins all call me asking what to get the kids for Christmas and I have no idea what to tell them.  Plus some years they have gotten duplicates because they tell people the same things without me knowing.  So yesterday we took a little adventure to Target to do some Christmas Wish Scanning.

 First go to the registry at customer service and click on "Target Lists."  Then you can create any kind of list (Birthday, Christmas, etc) for as many kids as you have.  

Then take off to the Toy section in search of more toys to clutter your house.

My kids thought it was the coolest thing to take that scan gun and zap whatever they wanted.

Reagan scanning a Wii game that she wants.

This picture has nothing to do with this post but it is so typical of my little Kate.  She got into my makeup and put eyeshadow all over her eyes.  

My kids really don't need anymore toys, but let's face it, they are going to get presents for Christmas so I might as well make it easy on everybody.

Amy B. 

Bookcase Makeover

I have never been one to re-do furniture and I am not very crafty, but I have been seeing everyone lately shopping at Goodwill and re-doing furniture.  Most of the time my perfectionism holds me back and I'm afraid to try things, but I am trying to get past that.  I figure  how much do I have to lose?  I recently spotted this ugly oak bookcase at Goodwill for $24.  It was very sturdy and a good height.  I debated for a while on if I should purchase it but then decided to buy it, not knowing what I was going to do with it.  Once I got home I realized that my daughter's room could desperately use some organization so I decided to paint the bookcase white to match her furniture.

I started this makeover before I started my blog so I didn't think to take a "Before" picture.  Here is the middle phase.  I started with a coat of primer.  You can still see the wood at the bottom where I hadn't painted yet.

I bought a quart of white gloss enamel paint and painted 2 coats, letting it dry well in between.  It may not be perfect but my 9 year old is thrilled with her new room.  I let her put her stuff on there as she wanted it, so it may not look that great to you, but she loves it and that's all that counts.  :)
Here is the after...

Sunday Morning Tradition

Growing up, my mom made these cinnamon rolls almost every single Sunday morning.

No.  They are not healthy.  No.  They are not fancy.  But yes, they are a "sweet" memory of my childhood that I treasure.  Now that I am a mom, guess what we have for breakfast almost every single Sunday morning?  That's right.   And if, heaven forbid, I don't make cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning, the kids groan and ask "Why didn't you make cinnamon rolls today....it is SUNDAY!"

 It is expected.

It is a tradition.

And it has to be this kind.

I have even made Pioneer Woman's Homemade Cinnamon Rolls that takes two whole days to make with tons of gooey maple goodness......

Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls

but my sophisticated kids prefer the ones from a can.  :)  That's OK...it is much easier on me.  

I'm sure they will probably make cinnamon rolls for their families one day to pass on this tradition.  What tradition are you creating to pass down to your kids?  It doesn't have to be cinnamon rolls. You can have a bowl of Frosted Flakes every Sunday morning and you will be making a special memory for your family.    What is one of your favorite childhood memories that revolves around food?

Thanksgiving Ideas to do with kids

I've been collecting ideas to share with my Mom2Mom group at church on activities to do with your kids for Thanksgiving so I thought I would share with you.  Here are a few of my favorites.   Some of these we already do as a family and others I plan on doing this year.  Remember, it doesn't matter what you do, just make it a yearly tradition and it will become a sweet memory for your child when they are older.  

1)  Have kids cut out pictures of things they are thankful for.  Glue them on large pieces of construction paper and laminate it.  Use as placemats for Thanksgiving Dinner.

2)  Hide colorful feathers (you can buy these at a craft store like Michaels) around the yard or house and have the kids find them (similar to an Easter Egg Hunt).  If you are real crafty, afterwards you can use these feathers to make an indian headdress.  

3)  Purchase a plain white tablecloth and sharpie markers.  Use this tablecloth for your Thanksgiving Meal.  When all the guests sit down to eat, have everyone sign his or her name, write a message or draw a picture.  You can re-use this each year and keep adding to it. 

4)  Turkey Handprints – you can put this on sweat shirts, paper plates, or cardstock & frame.

5) Pilgrim Hat Cookies  – Place a striped shortbread cookie face down, place a chocolate covered Marshmallow on top, use yellow frosting to draw a square for buckle on hat.

6)  Gingerbread houses-  make a tradition each year of creating gingerbread houses on Thanksgiving Day.  This is what my kids love the most!   My best advice for this activity is to hot glue the house together instead of using the icing....much easier!    

7) Blessing Mix  - This is a easy thing for kids to make to give to Sunday School Teachers, classroom teachers or friends. To print out the gift tag, go to www.organizedchristmas.com and in search box type in Blessings Mix.  This is an awesome website with many ideas for all holidays.  

8) Secretly give gifts to people that you are thankful for.  The kids will think this is fun to leave a present on the doorstep and then run away.  Leave the person a special note telling them why you are thankful for them. 

Savannah

Just wanted to share a few pictures from our trip to Savannah.  The best part about these conventions Jeff attends is they are always at the swankiest hotels.....and paid for by his company!   This was no Holiday Inn Express!  We stayed at the "Mansion on Forsyth Park" and it was gorgeous.  It must be a pretty popular place for weddings in Savannah.   When we got there on Saturday afternoon,  a couple had just gotten married in the outside center courtyard and then as soon as all the guests had exited they started moving out those chairs & flowers and replacing it with different chairs and flowers for the next wedding.

Our lovely room 

An awesome bathroom 

This is the house that Paula Dean is building.  It is still under construction so she isn't living there right now.  Jeff has a customer that lives in Savannah so he showed us around town and took us to see Paula's new house.   He said he used to buy lunches from her when she was still known as "The Bag Lady."   

I love the old historic homes and the huge trees with moss.  

Me & Jeff at a dinner reception

Swing me, Mommy!!

This is a story about my sweet little Kate.  One day, last week, when the weather was just perfect, we were outside so she could play on the swing set.  I pushed her for a few minutes and then needed to run in the house for a second to grab something (I don't even remember what it was now).  As soon as I got inside, I heard Kate crying.  I ran back outside to check on her and she had fallen out of the swing!  She was laying on the ground crying so I ran to her, picked her up, gave her some love & started pushing her on the swing again, by her request.  Fast forward a few minutes.  I tried once again to go back into the house to get whatever it was that I needed.  The poor baby fell out of her swing again!  By this time I was feeling like a pretty bad mom since I was not watching her very good and she had fallen twice within 15 minutes.  I was also thinking that she must be a pretty clumsy child.

As I was pushing her again, I started wondering if she was really falling or just tricking me to get me to go back outside.  My Kate, be that deceitful?  No way!  Well, I thought I would test my theory.  I went back in the house and ran to look out the window to see what she did.  I WISH I had been videoing her!   As soon as I got inside, she ever-so-slowly lowered herself ever-so-carefully to the ground and then started her little fake (but real sounding) cry!!!  It really was funny to me and I had to call my Sis to share it with her, because she loves a good laugh in the middle of the day.  This is a picture of Kate after my discovery that she is a great actress!

A MUST Read!

Jeff and I went to Savannah for a few days because he had a business convention there.  More about our trip later, but for now I wanted to share with you the book I read will we were gone.  I haven't been reading many books lately because most of my reading time is devoted to blogs, but I thought I would like to have something for our 5 hour ride in the car.  I saw this book and immediately knew that I wanted to read it.  I am always fascinated with the life of a celebrity and when the Chapman's little girl was accidentally killed in their own driveway by their older son I was heartbroken for them.  Many times since that accident,  I have been inside my house with the kids playing outside and think "that could happen to one of my kids" then I go outside and check on them.

I was in tears from the very first sentence of the "In loving memory" page.  I was in tears reading the Prologue written by Beth Moore.  AND I hadn't even gotten to the 1st page of the book yet!  I started wondering "why in the world did I bring such a depressing book on my fun trip?"  Yes, parts of it are very sad.  BUT parts of it made me laugh out loud.  All of it made me realize how much I take for granted on a daily basis.  It encouraged me and inspired me to be a better mom.  It increased my faith that the Lord will  be with us during the darkest of days.  Check it out....it's worth the tears.

Brett's Trash to Treasure

Here is the other thing that Brett found that day over at Papa Frank's barn.  It was a very old wooden sign that had cobwebs and dirt all over it.  After a good washing, we spray painted it NC State Red.  When that was dry, I painted the letters white.   We are planning on putting this over the door of the kid's playhouse outside.  Can't wait to see what else Brett brings home from Papa Frank's house!

Add a touch of Fall....CHEAP!

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought "Why didn't I think of that?"  I already had the glass vase and candle.  All I had to do was add the leaves.  Who knew fake leaves from the Dollar Store could look so good?  I bought 2 bags, so this makeover cost me all of $2!

Pumpkin centerpiece

A good friend of mine gave me this beautiful cake stand filled with pumpkins for my birthday.  I LOVE the cake stand and can't wait to use it, but for now I am keeping this on my kitchen table as our centerpiece.  I think it is so cute and creative!

Mailbox Makeover

Reagan and Brett love to play "Mailman."  They have been using an old shoebox, but one day Brett found an old, rusty mailbox at Papa Frank's house in one of the old barns.  It looked terrible!  He brought it home and we sanded it then painted it NC State red.  I don't have a before picture, but here is the after.  The kids love playing with it.  They move it all around the house and yard leaving notes inside it  for each other.  

Cleaning Tips....

 Don't you just hate it when you want to use the jets in your tub and brown gunk shoots out?  I was looking everywhere for an answer and couldn't find one.   But thanks to my good friend Allison, who found this awesome cleaning tip, I can now use my jets.  I promise you this tip will work!

Q:  How do I clean my bathtub jets?

(article in Woman’s Day magazine)

A:  Fill tub with hot water to cover jets.

Add 2 cups of bleach and ½ cup of powdered dishwasher detergent.

Run jets for at least 20 minutes and then let sit for a few minutes. 

Drain water, then refill with cold water.  Turn on jets for several minutes and drain again. 

Q:  How do I remove hair spray residue from my bathroom walls/floors?

(article from Real Simple magazine)

A:  Mix together one part rubbing alcohol to two parts water with a drop or two of dishwashing liquid.  Shake the mixture in a spray bottle and lightly mist the affected area.  Let it sit for a minute, then spray again.  Wipe dry using a slightly damp cloth. 

*don’t use on flat paint because it may leave streaks.  

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 box yellow cake mix            1 large box instant chocolate pudding
4 large eggs                             1 (6 oz) package chocolate chips
3/4 cup water                           1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crisco oil

Mix all ingredients together and blend thoroughly.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour in greased bundt pan and cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Heath Bar Cookies

These are one of my Dad's favorite cookies.  He found the recipe for me and he enjoys being my official taste tester.  They are super yummy AND super easy!

Heath Bar Cookies 
2 packages graham crackers                1 1/2 cups chopped pecan
1 stick butter                                        1/2 package chocolate almond bark
1/2 cup packed brown sugar            

Break graham cracker sheet in 2 or 4 pieces.  Fill bottom of large pan with crackers.  Melt butter with sugar and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Pour over crackers.  Spread evenly.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans on top.  Bake 11 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from pan immediately and place on waxed paper.  Melt chocolate and drizzle on each cookie.