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