I'm Living the Good Life

Thirty One Cinch It Up Thermal Tote GIVEAWAY

2012-02-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. My name is Michelle and I am a bag-aholic.

Pay no attention to the big man in the background. I am modeling the Pop Crossbody purse. I love it because it's hands-free. With three kids, that's very important.

Sorry mom. I said it. I love tote bags. I love big tote bags. I love big tote bags in crazy, cool, fun colors and prints. I especially love Thirty One bags. You would think I have enough of them, but some how I always find another need for one. My friend Jenny who sells Thirty One is thankful for this. Check out her stuff here.

I have the ginormous XXL Tote for the pool. I could fit both of my younger children in this particular bag. I have the Picnic Thermal tote....again, for the pool....or playdates in the park. We spend the whole day at the pool so it is perfect for packing lunch and snacks. I have the Retro Metro bag for day trips and outings with the kids. It is great for throwing in a couple toys, library books, a water bottle, and my wallet. Oh, and I have two Thirty One wallets. I have the Tote-Ally Awesome Tote for the gym. I have several large zipper pouches for kids stuff, the gym and storing diapers and wipes in the van. I could really go on, but this is getting embarassing.

One lucky reader is going to benefit from my obscene love of Thirty One tote bags.

My wonderful friend, and awesome Thirty One representative, Jenny, is giving away one of their new products on I'm Living the Good Life! The newest bag is the Cinch-It-Up Thermal Tote.

It is perfect for picnics, days at the pool (don't I know it) and any other time you need to pack a lunch. The new design is the cinch top that allows you to fit more things inside and also fit funky shaped containers more easily than you would in a standard lunch bag. This tote is great for taking leftovers to work!

This giveaway is for the Cinch-It-Up Thermal Tote in Circle Spirals. Look how even a crazy shaped gallon of milk fits inside!

Are you ready? A winner will be chosen Wednesday February 29th at 10:00pm using http://www.random.org/. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

You have three ways to enter. Please leave only one comment per entry and make sure you leave your email address in your comment.

Entry #1: Leave me a comment below telling me what Thirty One bag you already have or what Thirty One bag you would love to have. Make sure you leave me your email address.

Entry #2: Request to join Jenny's Thirty One Facebook page and leave me a comment below, with your email address, that you did so.

Entry #3: Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter. Leave me a comment below, with your email address, that you did so.

How easy is that? Good luck!!

If you'd like to place an order with Jenny or host a party, do it now and mention that you heard about her on I'm Living the Good Life and she'll throw in a free gift for you! Soon you will be as addicted as me. It's okay. There are far worse things.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-02-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

I just watched "Forks Over Knives." This documentary explores the studies that a diet rich in red meat and dairy products can increase a person's risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Forks Over Knives focuses on a plant-based diet. It is a fascinating video. I also love "Food Inc.," , having watched it last year.

Although I love both of these documentaries and supporting books (Fast Food Nation, Food Rules, The Omnivore's Dilemma) it is sometimes hard for me to not whip through McDonalds and get a box of nuggets or those delicious little chicken McPops or whatever they are called. I know. I know. I've seen the pink slime. It's the convenience. I did recently tell my 8 year old how I read that ammonia is used to "clean" the meat, so that has helped fight the fight.

Overall, I do feel like we eat pretty healthy. But, I would like to decrease our fast food stops. I'd also like to use less red meat. If you read my Monday posts, you will have noticed that not too long ago, I posted that my husband wanted more red meat! So, good luck to me.

How am I going to make everyone happy?

Check out our menu for the week. I used the vegetarian section of All Recipe, and I used one recipe from a book that my husband checked out from the library. I am hoping that these new meals will be so incredibly delicious that they will satisfy his meat craving. Who's an optimist today? They are not too involved and look pretty tasty. Don't be fooled by the fancy names....I checked out the ingredients and directions and they are doable. I will still buy some stir fry meat for my husband for a lunch or two. And, as I mentioned, I just want to use less red meat, not eliminate it.

Wish me luck!

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers with vegetables and hummus

Penne Alla Vodka (from Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook) with bread and salad

Keep It Light Tilapia with peas and carrots

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos with black beans

African Peanut Soup with grilled cheese

Make sure you check out Organizing Junkie for her Menu Plan Monday post, where there are hundreds of other weekly menus!

LEGO® KidsFest Coming to Cincinnati--Giveaway soon!

2012-02-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

I love LEGO®. Although, they are like a plate of spaghetti....you put some away, but the pile on the floor never seems to get smaller.

What if you could take your kids somewhere and they could play with LEGO bricks that wouldn't end up all over your floor? They could see fantastic displays, live demonstrations, play games and build their own creations!

You are in luck, because LEGO KidsFest, a giant traveling LEGO expo, is coming to Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Convention Center March 23 - 25, 2012. This event is for all ages and features hands-on, educational fun for all LEGO lovers, covering....get ready for it......THREE ACRES! Can you even imagine how many LEGO bricks it takes to fill three acres? How many LEGO do you think are in this "tiny" space alone? Wow!

Five sessions are available and they are identical. Tickets are $18 for kids and $20 for adults. However, starting February 17th thru March 2nd, there is a DISCOUNT CODE. When ordering tickets online, use the code FamilyFriendly12 to receive $2 off per ticket. Remember, the code is not active until February 17th! For more information and to purchase tickets, log on to LEGO KidsFest.

If you want to take a chance and try to win tickets, I'm Living the Good Life will have a family 4-pack ticket giveaway coming soon, so keep reading!

While you are planning your LEGO adventure, think about these fun facts from our friends at LEGO:

The LEGO minifigure represents the world's largest population of people! Over 4 billion minifigures have been produced in the last 30 years. This is almost 12 times the population of the United States!

Approximately 7 LEGO sets are sold each second.

With a production of about 306 million tires produced a year, the LEGO group is the largest producer of tires in the world.

LEGO is the contraction of two Danish words, "leg godt" which means "play well".

19 billion LEGO elements are produced every year. 2.16 million LEGO elements are molded every hour, or 36,000 per minute.

Are you ready to go build?!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-02-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

It's that time of the week again. It's been a busy weekend, so I'm trying to keep this simple but still interesting....and fairly healthy. It's not easy. I have three kids to please, one of which is hovering over me as I type.

Here is our menu for the week:

Grilled chicken and vegetables with rice

Hamburgers, vegetables to dip and macaroni/cheese

Grilled cheese and soup

Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with peas and carrots

Meatloaf, greanbeans and corn

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Crockpot BBQ on buns with vegetables

If you are trying to decide your menu for the week, check out Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more inspiration. There are lots of links to hundreds of recipes.

Are you also trying to plan a healthy menu? Are you trying to incorporate more exercise into your schedule? If you are in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area, check out Rob Frommer, Personal Trainer. If you are not in this area, "like" his page for fitness and health tips to be posted soon!

Happy menu planning!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present Fully Charged GIVEAWAY

2012-02-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

CONTEST CLOSED
Congratulations to Sara Rayman who said:
I love all the animal acts at the Circus! If only I could get my dog to do just one of their tricks, I'd be in great shape!! (On Facebook I "Liked" "I'm living the good life", and " Family friendly Cincinnati"

and Lisa who said she likes "all the animals!!!"

Both winners will be contacted by email and have 24 hours to respond with the requested information. If there is no response in 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Thanks to all who entered!

************************************************************************

Guess who's coming to U.S. Bank Arena March 7th-11th? I guess I gave it away in the title.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey present Fully Charged will be in town! I have two family 4-packs to giveaway. We did not get to see the show last year but we are all super excited to be attending this time around. Here is a little about the show, to get you just as excited:

The most electrifying edition ever of Ringling Bros.®celebrates performance power that boosts circus-goers excitement. The amazing acts, which can only be seen at The Greatest Show On Earth®, include Tabayara, a dynamic animal trainer whose rare ability to communicate with animals allows him to ride rearing stallions at a fully charged gallop and orchestrate majestic four-ton Asian Elephants in a symphony of dance. When he stands inside a cage, eye to eye with twelve ferocious tigers, Tabayara sees family where others see danger.

The Fearless Fernandez Brothers dial up the thrills as they perform daring feats of athleticism on the Twin Turbines of Steel, including, extreme jumps and twists inside the moving wheels! Audiences will crackle with excitement as they watch Guillermo perform a three hundred sixty degree flying forward somersault, three stories in air, a feat so difficult it has only been attempted by one other person in the 141-year history of Ringling Bros.The Human Fuse, Brian Miser, sets the arena sky ablaze as he rockets through the air from his self-made human crossbow. Don’t blink as he flashes across the sky in less than a second, and travels 80 feet at 65 miles per hour.

Ever wonder how many clowns it takes to change a light bulb? The hilarious hoopla continues to flow as the clowns from the world-famous Ringling Bros.®clown-alley, charge-up the audiences’ funny bones with hysterical silly antics and clownish comedy. You can only experience this current of excitement at Ringling Bros. Fully Charged! Get your ticket for high-voltage fun today!

Get to the show an hour before show time for the FREE All Access Power Up Pre-show Party! You can meet performers and animals, and register to win a painting created by one of the Asian elephants.

Ready to enter to win tickets? You have FOUR chances to enter. Leave a separate comment with your email address for each entry. You must be 18 years of age to enter. The contest will close on Sunday February 19th at 8:00pm. Winners will be announced on the I'm Living the Good Life facebook page and on this blog. The winners have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, as I will be using http://www.random.org/ to draw 2 winners from the list of comments.

Please leave your email with each entry!

Entry #1: What is your favorite circus act and why? Leave a comment and let me know!

Entry #2: Share this giveaway on twitter or facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did so.

Entry #3: 'Like' I'm Living the Good Life on facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did (or already do!).

Entry #4: Check out Family Friendly Cincinnati and 'Like' them on facebook. Leave a comment here telling me you did (or already do!).

If you'd like to increase your chances of winning, check out these other contests:

Mommybits
Little World After All
the little things blog
Mason Metu
In a Galaxy Far Far Away

Good luck!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Guest Post--Korean Stir Fry

2012-02-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

A while back I promised you a recipe for a Korean stirfry dish. The time has come! Check out my guest post on The Little Things Journal. Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Are you enjoying this beautiful sunny Kentucky weather? In February?! As I'm sitting here, the sun is shining and it is very mild outside.....and my kids are playing the Wii. Little do they know, they are about to change activities, so listen for the ~~screams~~ winds of change.

Last week everyone loved the Mexican Slow Cooker dish, so we are having that again toward the end of this week. This was such an easy recipe and actually very healthy and low fat. Here is the recipe. Thanks to my awesome friend and workout partner for the recipe for sharing!

Throw the following ingredients into the slow cooker:

3-4 chicken breasts

1 jar of salsa

1 can of corn

1 can of black beans

1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix

I cooked it on high for 4 hours. When the chicken is finished, use a couple of forks and shred the meat. Mix it all together and you are done! We used the "Scoops" tortilla chips to serve these. I also made rice and turned mine into a burrito. The kids used the chips and even just ate the chicken with forks. You may add sour cream and cheese, but that kind of negates the whole "low fat/healthy" part of things.

Here is our menu for the week.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce with salad

Stir Fry Steak with rice and vegetables

Mexican Slow Cooker

Sauteed Chicken with pasta and vegetables

Mama's Asian Chicken (did not get to this last week)

Chili

*Italian Cookbook Surprise

*Say what??? My husband checked out an Italian cookbook from the library and suggest on his day off this week, we make something.......so, I'm sure I'll be posting about that soon. I told him not to get too fancy on me.

What are you having this week? If you need inspiration, check out Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. There are hundreds of other menu plans listed.

Happy menu planning!

The Coat Closet Conundrum

2012-02-03T20:39:00.000-08:00

I was serious about getting ready for the pool. May is sneaking up on me already. It's February people! I've got closets to de-clutter, cabinets to sort, and rooms to organize.

Here is my coat closet. Appalling, I know. Pick your jaw up off the floor. Now try to make some sense of it. Okay, don't. It's really not worth it. I'll sum it up for you....I do make the kids put away their own coats. They are short so they can't reach the hangers. "Putting away coats" = shoving them on the floor of the closet.

I have a confession to make.

I am not short and I can reach the hangers, but I often shove my coat on the floor of the closet too. Why? Why does the sun set at night and why does it rise in the morning? Why do birds fly south in the winter? Why can't the Walmart people hear cameras clicking and see flashes going off all the time? Who knows, I am just trying to distract you. But think on that last one a bit.

In the winter, I fill the shoe hanger with hats and gloves. But, I have not done that this year, so there are some hats and gloves....and some jump ropes, sidewalk chalk and bubbles from the summer.

Those are games and tote bags....tote bags for the POOL!

These are all of our coats. Who needs that many coats?? And, who knows how long that poor fella has been in my closet? Maybe he came for our open house back in 2000? I should really check on our guests more often....

Halloween, Christmas AND summer decorations. Can you believe all this stuff fit in this one closet?

I used the same process as I did when I cleaned out the cabinet under our sink. I took everything out, sorted things into like piles and tried to containerize as much as possible.

What did I do with all that stuff???

The tote bags are now on their side so they take up less room and I can see them all.

I took out the pool stuff (which was all in one bag, but it was a giant bag so it took up a lot of room) and put it downstairs.

I moved all of the seasonal decorations into the storage area in the garage with all of the other seasonal decorations!

I put all of the summer things that were in the over the door hanger in a box and stored them in the basement. Then I sorted all of the hats, gloves and scarves. There is now a nice little bag to send to a friend with a 6 month old. There are also several mittens without mates (sounds like a support group to me) that will be thrown out.

We had too many coats in that closet. I kept the coats we actually wear, in the closet. The coats that are too light weight for this time of year are now hanging in wait in our bedroom closets.

I moved the kids games back to their closets where they belong.

The Outburst game? We hadn't played in at least 8 years. Hopefully, it will find some nice young couple without small children to lose the pieces. It's now waiting patiently for that couple at the thrift store.

And, I did something cuuuuh-razy! I drilled a couple of holes in the wall and hung a towel bar next to our front door for the kids coats and backpacks. Now they can reach! No more coats piled up on the floor! I bought S-hooks used for shower curtains to hang on the bar so they are pretty, yet functional.

Being organized pays. Literally, it pays. Look what I found.

TEN DOLLARS! Woo hoo! That's three grilled cheeses and one ring pop at the pool. And, a grill cheese from Bluegrass Swim Club is five stars. The butter. The golden bread. The melty, gooey cheese.

Oh, and the hoodie!

I found the Second Grader's Old Navy hoodie he got for Christmas. The poor boy has been asking me for three weeks "where is my hoodie?" He thinks he looks super cool in it if he unzips it about 3 inches and wears it over a tshirt. Boys. So, now he can be super cool again. I have wasted so much time and energy looking for that hoodie, and I would have never found it unless I cleaned out the closet. It was on the very, very bottom of the coat pile. For shame, for shame.

What do you have hiding in your closet?

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged

2012-02-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Guess what my kids are super excited about in the month of March? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged that's what! They are coming to US Bank Arena March 7-11, 2012. Here is a sneak peak.......

In the next couple weeks, I will have a giveaway for TWO family four packs of tickets!

However, if you would rather not take a chance, you may buy discounted tickets now. The Super Family Four Pack is available for $99 and is valid for any show! There is no code required. Just select the "Family Value Pack" on the Ticket Master event page. Here is what is included:

4 - $20 tickets

4 - 16 oz Lemonades (in a Ringling Bros. logo plastic cup)

4 - small popcorns

4 - lollipops

This is a fantastic deal!

Restrictions:
This offer is valid until midnight March 7th and is good on all performances. It is valid on $20 seating only and may not be combined with any other offer. You cannot use this with Ticket Fast delivery method. This offer is valid online, phone orders, outlets and box office.

Stay tuned for the giveaway!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. That being said, the opinions expressed in this blog are always 100% mine.

Screen-Free Day

2012-01-31T19:12:00.000-08:00

We tried. We did our best. Sunday was an almost screen-free day. The boys have been driving me bonkers arguing while playing Mario on the Wii. Here is what I hear (and most of it I do not understand, but maybe you will):

Spit me out of your mouth, NOW!!!
Pop my bubble! Pop it now!!!
Put me in your mouth and DO NOT let me out!!
Get in the pipe! Get in the pipe! GET IN the pipe!!
Waaaaahhhhh!!! Why'd you let me die???!!
You erased it!!! Aaaagh!!
Can I use the computer and look up cheat codes? Please????? I have to get to the cloud world!!!!

Make of it what you will, but I am going out of my mind. Stick a fork in me because I AM done. So, the games were turned in the OFF position and we all sat there and listened to crickets for a minute......

Then I remembered a puzzle the boys got for Christmas a couple years ago.

Looks like fun!

Maybe not.....

?????????????????

Now let me get mah glasses on Sonny......

Sure wish I was playing Mario. Hmmm, these little pieces look like clouds. Cloud world. Mario. Darn it.

What the ??????

At this point, my oldest told me that the people who made this puzzle were "a bunch of tricksters." So, we moved on to a new activity.

Volcano!

That was over in about 10 minutes and everyone had red fingers.

Next up.....Tech Deck! So close to the television, yet so far.

And then outside......

Ah fresh air!

So that was our day. Yes, I did let them play the Wii later that night. But, tonight I informed them, much to their disappointment, that tomorrow is another screen-free day. This means no DS, no computer and no Wii. Wish me luck. If you know where I live, send wine. The big bottles. Thanks in advance.

Stay tuned because in February I will have a couple great giveaways!

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-29T16:02:00.000-08:00

I was a little over zealous in my menu planning last week. We had way more leftovers than I thought we would. So, we are finally getting to the slow cooker honey garlic chicken (it is in the slow cooker right now!) and the spaghetti carbonara this week. But, that just makes my planning easier, because I only have to come up with four more meals.

Lasagna Soup

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken with rice and vegetables

Spaghetti Carbonara with salad and vegetables with dip

*Mexican Slow Cooker Dish with corn cakes

Mama's Asian Chicken and Rice

Homemade garlic and mushroom pizza with fresh vegetables or salad

Grilled Cheese and Soup

* I have no idea what to call this. It's chicken, corn, salsa, black beans and a packet of dry ranch dressing in the slow cooker. We will either pour it over rice or put it in a tortilla.

That's it for this week! I am excited about the garlic and mushroom pizza because it is made with whole roasted garlic cloves. We love garlic!

Make sure you visit Org Junkie for her Menu Plan Monday post. There are hundreds of great menu plans listed.

Happy menu planning!

Nuclear Cowboyz Recap

2012-01-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Nuclear Cowboyz. Although I am a girl, I was pretty excited to see motorbikes and atvs flip through the air. So, if I was excited, you can imagine how excited my boys were.

Note the ear plugs. It was as loud as a rock concert, so you may or may not need them.

This was a fantastic show. They are here ONE more night....tonight at 7:30. So, if you don't have plans, make a date with the Cowboyz. Seats start at $15 for children and $30 for adults. Tickets are available at U.S. Bank Arena box office, select Kroger stores, at all TicketMaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Here is a sample of what we saw last night.

The Cyborg Army

The Nuclear Cowboyz

Those blurry things? They are bikes jumping through the air.

The show started with "simple" jumps. But, soon they turned into flips and twists. When I started to think I'd seen a lot of jumps and they were starting to look the same, two guys came out with their jackets on fire! That I did not expect.

Although it was exciting, now I have to be sure to have the fire safety talk with my boys again. Along with the "don't try this at home" talk. That aside, it was a fantastic show and we all loved it. I hope you are able to enjoy it as well!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Under the Kitchen Sink

2012-01-23T13:21:00.000-08:00

Last summer we joined the neighborhood pool for the first time. I had visions of going to the pool as much as humanly possible, coming home to a clean house, having dinner and putting some tired kids to bed. Ahhhh! Doesn't that sound nice? What a great summer vacation that would be! Doesn't that sound like a fairy tale?

Here's what happened "in real life":

We went to the pool as much as humanly possible. We came home to a messy house. We ate dinner that was sometimes planned, sometimes not. I put some tired kids to bed.....most of the time later than I wanted to.

Why was the house so messy unlike in my fairy tale? Well, probably because we live in it. But, I am digging deeper than that. Where I used to work, we did the "Five Whys"....you keep asking why until you get to the root cause. Let's do that, shall we?

Humor me.

1) Why is my house messy? ~~Because I have kids.~~ Because stuff is laying out everywhere.

2) Why is stuff laying out everywhere? ~~Because I have kids.~~ Because it has not been put away.

3) Why has it not been put away? Because it's a pain in the butt to put stuff away.

4) Why is it a pain in the butt? Because there is not a specific place for everything and we just shove it some place....and that's not very satisfying.

A HA! We don't even have to go for five whys. There is not a specific place for everything.

I love functional things that also look nice....by this I mean I love a good organizational system that is pretty and functional.

Where am I going with this? I am already thinking about the pool in January. Probably because our weather sucks right now. It's gray. It's wet. It's cold. There were tornado warnings last week. When will the madness stop? I need a pool day. Stat!

I want more organization and now is the time to do it....when the weather is gross and we are inside anyway.

Let's get started. Check out the cabinet under my kitchen sink.

Need to see more?

Yikes! That's just out of control. I've been in a hurry and have just been cramming stuff in there. What can we do about that?

First I took everything out of the cabinet and put it in piles of like items. Cleaners together, plastic wrap/foil/baggies together, grocery bags together, paper towels together, dish detergent together, etc.,

Last week I had a party and I bought a new pack of paper napkins. Look what I found hiding in the back of my cabinet! And, the ones I found were even nicer than the ones I bought. Money wasted!

I found stuff to give away. I don't even own a Swiffer any more and the self clean on my oven is fine without oven cleaner. These were just taking up space in my cabinet.

Next I looked around the house for containers or other things to use to compartmentalize stuff. I love organization products, but I love using stuff I have even more. Ironically, I bought some of these for another organization project.....

Here is something else I already had. Poor Vicky has been demoted to holding my old grocery bags. Hope she doesn't get her panties in wad over that.

On the other door I put all of the foils, wraps and sandwich bags.

Look how much neater! I put all of the like items in containers and fit them in the cabinet.

TA DA!!!!

This one was not quite so impressed.....in fact, he said "I'm not interested in cleaning and beauty." That's a direct quote. He better watch it because I think someone small, white and furry is interested in his cookie....

So there you have it folks. For the moment, my cabinet under the sink is clean and organized. It has stayed that way for 2 1/2 days with no effort. That's the kind of organization I need. The kind that works. If it's too hard to keep organized, something is not right and you should try again. So, let's see if this one sticks!

Stay tuned because slowly I'm getting ready for that pool day.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

My husband has requested more red meat. So, as you can see from my menu, he is getting a roast! Not exactly prime rib, or fillet, but hey, it's all I got. And, he's getting chili. My son, as always, has requested the Lemon Herbed Chicken....or as he calls it "the good chicken". It's from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook and truly is fantastic. The marinade goes on after you cook it so it is extra tasty.

Here is our menu for the week.

Roast in the Slow Cooker with rice and vegetables

Chili

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken (Thanks Katie at The Little Things Journal for the idea!)

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

Lemon Herbed Chicken

from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook with acorn squash and vegetables

Spaghetti Carbonara with salad and vegetables with dip

Make sure you check out OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday for more inspiration from hundreds of other menu plans.

Happy menu planning!

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales

2012-01-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Today I took my little princess and prince to see Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. It was fantastic. I wasn't sure how my son would like it, but his eyes were glazed over during the whole first half, so that's a good sign. I think he was there for the heroes and villains.

And, of course, my daughter loved the whole thing. Tinkerbell enjoyed it too.

The show had everything a girl could ask for....sparkly costumes, pretty princesses and happy endings. Disney Live! took us through the three Fairy Tales of Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

I was glad to see Snow White since I feel like the poor gal never gets any air time. I'm not sure my daughter even knows who she is, but I have to say that Snow White was my favorite part.

At least, I thought Snow White was my favorite until I became a traitor when I saw Cinderella in all of her finery.

One second she was standing there in her raggedy brown dress with a kerchief in her hair and then the next second she had on her fabulous blue ball gown and hair in a fancy up-do. And, I do mean this all happened in a matter of seconds. I was pretty amazed.

When the story of Beauty and the Beast came around, I had forgotten that it was newer than the other two stories. I love the character of Gaston, even though he is a jerk. I know. I know. What is wrong with me? But, he is so funny. Unfortunately, I did not get any good pictures of him, but the actor was fantastic and even had his larger than life, pompass expressions perfected. He had the best eyebrow raise ever. And, when he kissed his biceps I about rolled out of my chair.

But, I digress. Back to Belle.

Beauty and the Beast dazzled the audience with the "Be Our Guest" song and dance, the rose with its quickly dropping petals that holds the Beast's fate and of course (my favorite!) Gaston's super ego dance scene.

At the end of the show, when my camera batteries died, all of the princesses and their princes came on stage for a final bow. It was gorgeous, and you will just have to imagine it since I didn't pack spare batteries. Trust me. It was spectacular.

Keep watching because in the next few weeks I'll have another giveaway for a great show coming to town soon. Stay tuned for clues!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I did not make a good plan.....I thought I did, but it was a lie. I made a menu with what we already had in the pantry, which is a great idea, but I forgot those little things. So, I went to the store....about 5 different times. And then there were the two times I called my husband at work and asked him to pick up milk on the way home....and dog food another night.

So this week I made a plan for ALL seven days. Usually we have leftovers or sandwiches on the weekend, but I'm not leaving anything to chance here. Plus, it's one less thing I have to think about. Some of these menus are pretty heavy on the calories (check out the slow cooker bake!) but I'm going to reduce calories by using low fat ingredients, bake instead of fry and go lighter on the cheese. Here's what we are having:

White Chicken Enchiladas and beans

Mini Deep Dish Pizza from Pinterest (for the boys' sleepover)

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon and Tator Tot Crock Pot Bake

Creamy Butter Chicken and roasted broccoli

Butternut Squash Soup with french bread

Grilled Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup (from Trader Joe's YUM!)

Homemade baked Chicken Tenders and vegetables

Make sure you check our Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for hundreds of other menu plans!
Happy menu planning!

Nuclear Cowboyz GIVEAWAY!! CLOSED

2012-01-15T19:14:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank you to all who entered!

Congratulations to K who said "I have a 10 speed bike" and Charlotte who shared this contest on facebook. If you left an email address I will send an email with details, but please, to be safe, send me a message at mhammers@zoomtown.com. If I do not hear from you in 24 hours, a winner will be re-drawn. Thank you again for reading and entering this contest!

Are you ready for a fast-paced, action-packed, non-stop good time? You already have a house full of boys, so never mind? I'm kidding! Of course you are ready!

As I mentioned in my original post about Nuclear Cowboyz, I expected a run of the mill motor cross bike show. Then I watched the video. Check it out:

It is truly fantastic and I cannot wait to see it! Here is how the show is described:

There is fire. There is dancing. There is music. There are lasers. There is a snowmobile flip. THAT I do not want to miss. And it all happens at US Bank Arena Friday January 27th and Saturday January 28th.

If you would like to go, tickets are already on sale, with seats starting at just $15 for children and $30 for adults. Tickets are available at U.S. Bank Arena box office, select Kroger stores, at all TicketMaster locations, www.ticketmatster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

OR, if you'd like to try and win tickets, here's your chance! I will be giving away two 4-packs of tickets at 8:00pm on Friday January 20th. You have THREE chances to enter. Here's how:

Entry #1: Leave me a comment below telling me what kind of bike you have. A 10-speed....a dirt bike....a tricycle with a basket? It doesn't matter! Just leave a comment and make sure you leave your email address as well.

Entry #2: Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog and leave me a comment that you did. Again, leave me your email address.

Entry #3: "Like" I'm Living the Good Life on Facebook or sign up for my emails. Leave me a comment that you did so (again, with your email address included).

The winners will be posted on Facebook and on I'm Living the Good Life Friday night, so check back to see if you won. If you do win, make sure you respond in 24 hours to claim your tickets or they will be redrawn.

There are also a few other blogs with giveaways to Nuclear Cowboyz, so check them out also:

Family Friendly Cincinnati

Amy at In a Galaxy Far Far Away

Kristin at MasonMetu
Karen at Little World After All

Good luck!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Nuclear Cowboyz is the greatest, high octane-fueled entertainment freestyle motocross tour ever produced. It is the legend of two powerful freestyle motocross tribes whose survival in their futuristic world is told through an action-packed narrative of fearless freestyle aerial feats, gravity defying stunts, and outrageous pyrotechnic displays synchronized to hard rock music.

Legendary Nuclear Cowboyz FMX tribes, the Soldiers of Havoc and teh Metal Mulisha ® return for a never-before-seen action-packed event that takes place in the war torn city of Los Angeles during the year 2150. The tale unfolds as the two tribes' survival is threatened and besieged by an evil force, The Tempest and her electrifying Cyborg Army.

Nuclear Cowboyz Coming January 27-28 to US Bank Arena

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

When I first heard about Nuclear Cowboyz I had absolutely no idea what this show could be about. I pictured futuristic cowboys shooting each other with lazer guns in a dark and smokey arena. Then I checked out some pictures of the show.

My next thought was....oh, ok, it's a bike show with tricks!

Oh yes, there are tricks.

But there is also a plot. And, it looks so much more exciting than I can explain. Here is how the show is described:

Nuclear Cowboyz is the greatest, high octane-fueled entertainment freestyle motocross tour ever produced. It is the legend of two powerful freestyle motocross tribes whose survival in their futuristic world is told through an action-packed narrative of fearless freestyle aerial feats, gravity defying stunts, and outrageous pyrotechnic displays synchronized to hard rock music.

Now check out this video. I promise...you are going to want to see it!

Doesn't it look amazing? I know two little boys who are super excited to see this show. Nuclear Cowboyz will be showing at US Bank Arena January 27th and 28th.

Keep reading I'm Living the Good Life because soon I will be posting a giveaway for this show. You may want to become an email subscriber to make sure you don't miss any posts. You can do that by entering your email in the email box on the top right side of this blog.

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-08T19:11:00.000-08:00

This week we are trying to save money and use what we have in the pantry. Granted, we did make a very small grocery trip this weekend......but we are not making the big, beginning of the week haul. I do need to get dog food and meat for the stir fry, but that's about it.

Last week I made the Korean stir fry and it was delicious. I will post a recipe this week with pictures, because I am making it again! It was very easy to make.

My friend Amy at In a Galaxy Far Far Away told me about http://www.skinnymom.com/ and how wonderful the Black Bean and Rice Burrito recipe is, so we are trying that. Thanks Amy!

Chili

Korean Stirfry

Brinner (pancakes and eggs)

Black Bean and Rice Burrito

Great Northern Bean Soup and Corn Bread

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to see Menu Plan Monday and tons of other weekly menu plans.

Also, don't forget to enter the Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales contest for tickets to see this awesome production!

Happy menu planning!

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales GIVEAWAY CLOSED

2012-01-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank you to everyone who entered. The winners are:

Katy, who said "Mickey's best girl is Minnie :) " and Angela E. who said "Minnie is Mickey's girlfriend!" Please send an email to mhammers@zoomtown.com so we can get tickets set up. Make sure to respond in 24 hours or tickets will be redrawn.

Keep reading because soon I'll have ANOTHER giveaway for an upcoming show of a totally different variety. Watch tomorrow for more details.

A few days ago I mentioned that I would have a giveaway for the one day only visit from a few Disney Princesses. On Sunday January 22nd Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales will be at US Bank Arena and I am giving away two family 4-packs to the show!

Here's a little about the show:

“Prepare to step into a world of wonder where wishing is only the beginning and dreams really do come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic.”

You have three chances to win and here's how:

ENTRY #1: Answer ONE of the trivia questions below and list your answer in a comment on this post. Make sure you leave an email address.

What is the name of Mickey's best girl friend?

a. Mikaela

b. Mulan

c. Minnie

ENTRY #2: Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave me a comment that you did. Again, make sure you leave an email address.

ENTRY #3: "Like" I'm Living the Good Life on Facebook or subscribe to my email feed. Leave me a comment that you did (or leave me a comment that you already do!). Leave an email address in your comment.

I will draw two winners, using www.random.org, on Thursday January 12th at 8:00pm and post them on this blog. I will also send the winners an email. If I do not receive a response in 24 hours, I will have to draw another winner.

If you want more ways to enter, visit my friends!

Katie at the little things blog
Amy at In a Galaxy Far Far Away
Karen at Little World After All
Kristin at MasonMetu

Good luck!

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

What is Donald Duck's full name?

a. Donald Clarence Duck

b. Donald Chenille Duck

c. Donald Fauntleroy Duck

d. Donald Whitlatch Duck

Belle wishes for adventures that she finds in:

a. the books that she loves to read

b. a glass slipper

c. a magic carpet

What was the name of Belle's father in Beauty and the Beast?

a. Maurice

b. Martin

c. Matthew

Put on your tattoo sleeves and get ready to shake it!

2012-01-04T17:47:00.000-08:00

I was recently tricked into going to a Zumba class. I reminded my friend that I have no rhythm and am not very coordinated and she said "Ahhhh, you'll be alright!" When we got to the class I heard her mutter something about needing some rhythm. My ears twitched and my eyes lit up...."Say what??!"

"Heeheeeheee. I knew you'd never come if I said that!"

Let me just say that I do work out. I am dedicated. I am not "freakishly strong" as our trainer described my friend once. But, I show up 3 times a week at 7am....in a parking garage....and I have pushed a sled the length of it and back. Yeah, ok, it wasn't weighted, but let's see a show of hands, shall we?

Back to my coordination. It's not good. That combined with my lack of rhythm makes it worse. I have got to stop and think about some of these moves! And, there's no time for that in a Zumba class.

I got a little worried when the instructor came in and she put on a set of tattoo sleeves.

I am not joking.

For those of you who are Zumba-ites or citizens of Zumbaville or are in the cult otherwise known as Zumba, maybe this is no shocker to you. But, when I saw her put on those sleeves followed by a Michael Jackson fedora and some jangly scarf with coins on it, I knew I was going down. It was not going to end well for me.

The music started. We did a few moves. It wasn't so bad. I still looked like a baby giraffe when I watched myself in the mirror. So, I tried to avoid that as much as possible. My friend whispered to me "When in doubt, march it out!" Oh, sister, there was gonna be some marchin' going on. Don't you worry about that.

At first I thought, huh, it's January 1st. This is my New Year's Resolution! I am going to learn Zumba. I am going to do these moves and trick everyone and make them think I have some........oh forget it. After about the 3rd or 4th song my resolution was to just get through the class. Half way through an older gentleman came in wearing a Miller Lite tshirt. He gave me some inspiration. I was equally UNinspired when the instructor pointed out that the lady in the front row was 6 weeks pregnant so we should all be shakin' it like her. Thanks a lot.

I am proud to say that I made it through the class without breaking my neck. Or a hip. There was a lot of shakin' going on....none of it pretty. The class wasn't so bad. But, I will say that pushing a sled through a parking garage didn't look so horrible after all. That is how much rhythm I don't have.

Stay tuned because in a couple days I will be posting a GIVEAWAY for Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales.

Cincinnati Bengals Themed Scarf GIVEAWAY!---CLOSED

2012-01-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Barb H!! She is the winner of the scarf. Thank you to all who entered and helped spread the word.

Are you ready for the play offs this weekend? Are you cheering for the Bengals? Do you need a cool accessory to wear while you eat your buffalo wing dip? Well, I have something for you! I am doing a super quick giveaway to help you get ready for the game. Because the game is this Sunday, the giveaway will only last 24 hours. So, make sure you get in on this quick! And, spread the word! I will draw a name using http://www.random.org/ tomorrow, Wednesday January 4th at 8:00 pm (I gave you a couple more hours! Don't waste them!).

This is a recycled tshirt scarf. Made from a retired tshirt that has been washed and redesigned into a lovely accessory. Please note I am only wearing the scarf to model it. There are a couple ways you can wear it. You may get creative and find even more ways!

To enter, just leave me a comment below and tell me where you'll be watching the game this weekend. Make sure you leave your email address as well. That is all. How easy is that? If you'd like a bonus entry, share this contest on facebook and let me know in a comment (again with your email).

If you win, and live in the Northern Kentucky area, I can make arrangements to drop off your prize. Or, if you want to take your chances with the mail, that is fine too.

Good luck and start entering!

If you would like to see other styles and colors of recycled tshirt scarves, check out my Etsy shop.

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairytales January 22nd at US Bank Arena

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

My daughter loves ballerinas, princesses and anything girly, pink or ruffly. So, Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales will be right up her alley. At first I thought it would be better suited for just my daughter, but after reading the following description, I think the whole family will have a great time:

"Prepare to step into a world of wonder where wishing is only the beginning and dreams really do come true in Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life right in your hometown. Featuring dynamic storytelling, award winning music, stunning costumes and glittering special effects, audiences will be captivated by the humor, fun and adventure of these spellbinding stories. Dream with the princesses, cheer for the heroes as they conquer evil villains, and marvel as these classic tales are brought to life in a theatrical experience that’s pure magic."

Princesses for the girl in our family and evil villains for the boys! Sounds good to me!

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales will be at US Bank Arena Sunday January 22nd at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm.

Lucky for you, I have a special discount for readers. By using the code MOM15 when ordering tickets online at Ticket Master, you may buy flat rate tickets for $15. **

Stayed tuned in the next few days for a giveaway to this show. Make sure you become an email subscriber to get notices of blog updates to be sure you don't miss anything. You can do this by entering your email in the block on the top right of this blog.

While you are waiting for the show, check out this coloring page.....

Disclaimer:

**Offer Valid toward regularly-priced tickets in seating Front Row and VIP Seats. Offer subject to ticket availability.

Service charges and handling fees may apply. Valid on up to four discounted tickets. Not be used in conjunction with any other discount, premium or rebate offer.

I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Menu Plan Monday

2012-01-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.......Ole' Bing had it right in "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Today is the first day back to school. We had a wonderful break and I enjoyed having everyone at home, but it's time to go back. We all thrive on schedules, and ours has fallen apart this last week. I am looking forward to getting back on track this week.

We had lots of leftover lasagna last week, so we never got to Girl Scout Stew and the Stir Fry, so that is on our menu again. I hope you are starting your new year with a fantastic menu! If you need more inspiration, make sure you visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for her Menu Plan Monday to read what hundreds of other menu planners are making this week.

Happy Menu Planning!

Girl Scout Soup

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Roasted Chicken and roasted broccoli with potatoes

Noodle, meat and vegetable stir fry

Chicken Enchiladas and beans

Sticky Situation

2011-12-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

What's a great gift for a 4 year old boy?

Invisible tape!!

Seriously, it is. When my neighbor was 8, all he asked for one Christmas was a box of wood, nails and some wires. I'm sure his mom longed for the days when tape was the perfect gift. Especially after he caught the tree in their backyard on fire.

Those of you with girls are probably scratching your head right now. Tape? Wires? Nails? What is WRONG with these people? Let me explain boys. They are a mess. They will eat things off the floor before you can knock it out of their hand. But really, at some point (very early), you stop caring, because it's not going to kill them. I'm hoping it will build up their immune system.

They will miss the toilet while peeing because they were busy looking at the walls and counting tiles. You will find out because you step in it.

They will leave old sandwiches under their bed. You will find out because they will be walking around eating one as a snack a couple days later and you will be wondering "I didn't just make them a sandwich...that was Wednesday...."

To sum it up, boys are different than girls. If you don't believe me, come to a Cub Scouts meeting with me. That's a whoooole lotta boy energy. You may not survive.

What you see is what you get and mine are nitty, gritty, dig in your hands up to your elbows, stinky kind of guys. Middle child played with a worm this summer...in my living room....on the hard wood floor while he watched Sesame Street. Yes, I watch my kids, but I promise you that these things happen in the blink of an eye. Ask my mom. She watched them one Saturday and I'm happy to say she only suffered one broken jelly jar on my front porch, a dog who ran out the front door and returned and a shattered snow globe. Whew.

Back to tape. Yes, tape is a great gift. It's cheap. It's useful. It provides hours of fun.....

It can turn light up Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer slippers into a night light...or something....

It can make it easier to carry things around the house hands free.

No, I did not put him up to this. He ran in the living room screaming "Mom!! I have something stuck to my back!!" He was a little confused....back, belly, whatever. But, yes, he had something stuck to it.

You can do glasswork...make it frosted...or something.....

The possibilities are endless and the fun is never ending! Get your kids a roll today! Maybe a couple rolls because this one lasted about 3 hours. Hhhmmmm, on second thought, maybe tape is not such a great gift. You be the judge.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-12-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are still having a menu for the week! Yes, I am a little late. But, we cannot go to the grocery without a menu and we have to go to the grocery because we have no food. So, back to the menu!

It's not very exciting this week....well, with the exception of one item. My cousin's wife made a delicious noodle dish for Christmas dinner that I can only hope to kind of replicate. She is from Korea so it is not a normal stirfry I would make. I am going to try my best. She gave me the rest of the sweet potatoe noodles from her package so I could have some starter noodles as well as the recipe on the bag. Which seems easy, but I have a feeling she does some improvising. It all starts with marinating the steak in shredded kiwi and an asian pear....so, hopefully I captured all of the extra instructions too.

Here is our menu for the week!

Leftover Prime Rib (and pizza for the kids, because we are not sharing)

Lasagna and salad

Noodle, meat, vegetable stirfry

Pancakes and Eggs

Girl Scout Stew (more on this later!) and grilled cheese

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for Menu Plan Monday to see tons of other Menu Plans!

Good luck to you on this last week of winter break! Make it a good one!

Competition

2011-12-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

Middle Child has got some competition.

Now stepping into the ring, weighing 25 pounds soaking wet, wearing what looks to be a well worn tutu and Hello Kitty shirt that hasn't been washed for days, is.....

Baby Girl!!

I just can't get enough of myself!

She's giving him a run for his money. Let's talk about the bank today. This visit should have taken 10 minutes. Well, maybe it did take 10 minutes, but you know how those minutes stretch into hours when you are NOT having fun? It felt like an eternity. I think it also felt like an eternity for the poor loan officer who sat in his office and watched our little circus while he tried to make phone calls. Hey, I've gotta take 'em with me when I goes to the bank buddy. I try.

Anyhoo.....because I don't own a copier, I asked the nice Teller to make copies of the stuff I had to drop off. She did. Unfortunately there was a paper jam and it all went down hill from there.

While waiting, Baby Girl discovered the ginormous Nutcrackers that are twice her size guarding the front door. In case you are wondering if their mouths really open and shut when you pull on their coat tails....they do. I'm sure you know how I know this.

Next. After the Nutcrackers, Baby Girl saw the preeeppy, shiny gift card display. On the spinning rack. Merry Christmas!

Time Out. Not time out from my story, but we implemented a Time Out.

After the little rest from her gift card extravaganza, she saw stacks and stacks of brochures on the table next to her time out seat (really I should have seen that coming...usually I can stay a step ahead of them). Suddenly it was raining bank brochures. Funny enough I discovered that some people use them as their own personal notecards and then just shuffle them back in the stack for other patrons to enjoy.

Before I could stick her little butt in another time out, this happened.....

It's a little blurry, but you get the idea. She is not falling. She is not crying. She's cracking herself up yelling "I laying on da foor!!!!" Over and over and over.

How long does it take to fix a paper jam anyway?!

But, even after all of this, once we got in the car I was thinking about how lucky we are. And, let me tell you, it was hard to hear my thoughts over all the screaming of Christmas carols from the back seat. Yes, I wish there was more money in the bank. Yes, I wish my kid had not tried to make a snow angel on the carpet of the bank floor. But, at least she can make a snow angel on the carpet of the bank floor. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that. It's hard. It's especially hard to remember when I am picking up 8,352 socks off her floor because she's discovered she can reach the sock drawer. But, there are always worse things to complain about.

On a positive note, I've discovered boxing at the gym. Let me recommend this to all moms as a way to destress!

Happy Holidays!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a week away and it's getting crazy around here! There is last minute Christmas shopping, a couple of parties, Christmas card writing, babies being born (not mine...whew!) and so many other things to prepare for. Sometimes the funny daily happenings pull me back to reality a bit....just to give you a sneak peak into my world, here is something I call "Conversations from the Back Seat":

Second Grader: Hey, you know that cemetery, Highland Cemetery? It's been around since 1869!
Middle Child: Yeah, how do people die anyway?
Second Grader: Well, maybe old age......or maybe someone kills them.
Middle Child: Or maybe they got killed by a woolly mammoth.
Second Grader: Yeah, I like woolly mammoths. I like science too.
Middle Child: I like sinus's too.
Second Grader: It's SCIENCE not sinus.
Middle Child: Oh.

Here ends the sinus lesson.

Alrighty. Here's what we are having for dinner this week. Thanks Katie at the little things blog for letting me steal two recipes. I am excited to try the spaghetti and the goulash!

Happy menu planning!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Pancakes and eggs

Lemon Herbed Chicken

Beef Goulash Soup

Night out at a friends (aka "Leftovers for Dad")

Menu Plan Monday

2011-12-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it's the last week of school before the break. There is so much to do---teacher gifts, parties, Advent dinners, and goodies for the class. Oh, and make dinner! Geez, I forgot about that. No wonder my menu planning post is going up Monday night at 11:45pm. This week I'm trying to be healthy and easy. So, I've checked out The $5 Dinner Mom's One Dish Dinners for a couple of ideas.

Slow Cooker Maple Chicken with Sweet Potatos

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry

Hamburgers and vegetables

Corn bread and Navy Bean Soup

Mac and Cheese and Ham (aka "Mom's Going to a Party")

When you are finished planning your menu, maybe you need to do some Christmas shopping? Make sure you check out my Etsy shop for recycled tshirt scarves, rosette clips and rosette ponytail holders!

Happy menu planning!

Future Photographer

2011-12-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

The other night I took pictures of Baby Girl because she looked so cute. She is so girly I can hardly stand it. Check it out. She's cute....and she knows it.

She stands in front of the oven and smiles at her reflection while cooing "I soooo preeeppy! Mah hair so preeeeppy! Mah dress! Preeeppy shoes!" Then she sways back and forth. So sweet. Yes, I know she's a little full of herself. We'll just call it self confidence for now. This week she has been wearing two dresses and just alternating them each day....and night. She wears them over her pjs. She wears the "preeeeppy" shoes to bed sometimes too. I say pick your battles and this is one I choose not to fight. Does it really matter?

Where am I going with this? While I was flipping through pictures on the camera admiring Her Preeeeppiness, I ran across some pictures I did not take. Exactly FORTY FOUR pictures I did not take. Here's a sample. Take a look!

Still getting used to the zoom.

I SAID turn around and say "cheese"!!

Getting better.....I call this "Flowers in Vase"

This is a Christmas miracle! Even I cannot get her to look right at me when I take a picture.

At least they are not all pictures of the wall....although there are several of those.

Points for creative camera angles (well, I think he's just vertically challenged)

Glad this one is preserved on "film." It was a wedding gift and at this rate it probably won't last long.

Again, nice angle!

I hope that's a thumb. Is that Santa's beard?

Some one's getting tired of the paparazzi. Note the preeeeppy shoes.

You already know who the photographer is don't you? I have to say I am impressed that most of the pictures were in focus, had a specific subject and were not all of the same thing. And, at least they were not of the toilet. Because when I was 10, I took my mom's camera and clicked off an aerial shot of the open toilet. No, it did not have a lump of coal in it. That was back in the day when you had to drive to Kmart in your horse and buggy and get pictures developed. If you were cheap, it took a week. So, a week later, we found out how many blurry, out of focus, eye-closed shots we had. Or how many pictures of the toilet. That week was like waiting for Christmas for me! I could not WAIT to see the look on my mom's face when she saw that toilet. It wasn't a good look since I wasted film.

Anyhoo, maybe Middle Child has a career in photography. And at this rate Baby Girl, can be his subject.....unless her looks go in the toilet.....and then, well, that can be his subject!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-12-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

Just an hour ago I realized...."Yikes, it's Sunday night!! I need a menu plan!" I love having a menu planned for my week. I don't always love planning it. But, it's one of those things that takes 20 minutes and then you reap the benefits all week.

We have two repeats from last week. The Pakistani Lentil Curry---because we never got to it. And, the vegetable beef stew because it was so good we want it again. For the stew, I browned the stew meat coated in flour and a little salt and pepper. Next I added broth, diced garlic, carrots, red cabbage and potatoes. I brought this to a boil and simmered for a while. I served it with homemade french bread and it was awesome. I had to bake another loaf of bread the next day because the boys loved it so much. It was not really a traditional vegetable beef stew, but it was fantastic. Don't go overboard on the cabbage though because it tends to add a bitter taste.

One other note....check out the recipe for the Bacon Potato Omelete....I cannot wait to try that one!

Here is our menu for this week. Whew, I'm glad that's done. Happy menu planning!

Pakistani Lentil Curry

Chili

Penne Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Vegetable Beef Stew

Bacon Potato Omelete

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to see hundreds of other menu plans at Menu Plan Monday!

The Home Gym

2011-11-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

I belong to a gym. Many people say---be thrifty and work out at home! Play the Wii Fit! Talk a walk! Go for a run! Well, after you hear my story about my at-home work out, you will completely agree with me that my $19.99 a month is money well spent.

Last week was a rough week. I had a hard time getting to the gym (this means I did not go at all), which is sad considering I go at 7:30 in the morning. I was determined to get in some type of physical activity because I was starting to feel like crap. So, I used the work out my friend gave me from Pinterest (yeah Pinterest! If you aren't already addicted, check it out and you soon will be. You can thank me later for showing you another way to suck away hours of your day). This was the best at-home routine! No weights (because I don't have any). No running (because I can't really run down the street while my kids are at home....alone). No sweaty guy next to me stinking up the treadmill! It was perfect.

Well, perfect if you don't have two kids under 4 years old trying to "work out" with you.

First I started with 30 jumping jacks. It's bad enough that I have to do the modified version where you scissor your legs front to back instead of the regular opening your legs and jumping to close your legs. Once you've had three kids, you will be doing the modified version too. Unless you like peeing yourself.

Back to jumping jacks. Thirty of them. Middle Child decided to work out with me. I thought this would be a fun opportunity to show him the importance of physical activity! So, we did jumping jacks....and counted out loud....together. Which is ok, except when he hits 14 it's a free for all of numbers...13, 14, 16, 18, 17, 22, 29, 30! In case you are wondering, it's hard to count with all that jazz going on. Also, it's not very motivating.

Ok, done with my thirty jumping jacks! On to push ups. Not so bad....until Baby Girl decided that was a great opportunity to try to climb on my back and ride the horsey. Oy yoy yoy I'm never going to finish this! I must go faster! Next up, crunches. How can this go wrong? I'm on it. Half way through the crunches I see Baby Girl and Middle Child working as a team, each on one side of a couch pillow carrying it across the room. What are they doing?? Huh. Oh well, crunches. I crunch up and as I go down my head lands on the pillow. Thanks guys. They thought I was resting and needed a pillow. Geez!

After this they get bored and sit on the couch and watch. So much for learning the importance of exercise. Now I'm on to burpees. If you are not familiar with these, you start standing, bend at the waist and put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out into kind of a plank position, jump your feet back in and pop back up to standing. So, burpees. I should have looked behind before I jumped out. I kicked the dog. Don't worry. She is fine. Poor thing never saw me coming.

At least I'm out of breath and working up a sweat. I go through the whole routine almost three times and the Second Grader comes running down the steps screaming "Someone's at the door!!" My workout just wasn't meant to be. So, I just went upstairs and ate some pie. I'm kidding, I didn't eat pie. But, I went upstairs and my neighbor was at the door. She came downstairs to witness me doing the one minute wall sit. I thought I was doing pretty good until the Second Grader jumped in and said, "Hey, I can do that!" He did it for nearly two minutes.....we counted. Show off.

Lesson learned. This week I am going to the gym.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-11-27T12:55:00.000-08:00

I just ordered 20 Christmas photo cards for $1.49, including shipping. Thanks to Andrea at Savings Lifestyle for the tip. Check it out and you can get the same. Now I am on a thrifty roll. Plus I went to Target last night and bought Christmas presents and wish I had a money tree in my backyard.

My goal this week is to make our menu based on what we already have in the pantry, fridge and freezer. I am using All Recipes to search for menu items based on the ingredients we already have and am also searching through my old recipes that allow me to use a variety of things (you can make vegetable beef stew, or really any soup/stew, with leftovers and assorted frozen vegetables....or vegetables on the verge of going bad).

Make sure you check out Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday for more ideas!

Pakistani Lentil Curry over rice with salad

Homemade Vegetable Beef Stew with bread

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and salad

Cod Au Gratin with vegetables

Grilled Tilapia Soft Tacos with vegetables

Happy Menu planning!

O' Christmas Tree

2011-11-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I would bug the heck out of my parents to put up the Christmas tree. I think I started around October 1st. OK, not that early. It seemed like we neeeever put it up early enough. One year when I was older, we had it up for Thanksgiving since we were hosting that year and I can remember thinking "Why didn't we do this when I was a kid??" I'll tell you why. Putting up that tree is a pain in the butt when you are the adult.

We I put up the tree today.

I'll admit, I brought it on myself. It's my fault. It was my idea. I said "Let's put up the tree when we get back in town after Thanksgiving!" We were in the door 15 minutes and I started hearing voices (not the ones in my head. ha ha.)

"When are we putting up the tree?"

"Can we put up the tree?"

"When you go downstairs and get the tree, can I help?"

"Let's go get the tree!"

So, we put up the tree. It wasn't so bad! As I opened the box and saw the three chunks of tree in the box I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't have to put in each individual branch. Then my heart skipped a beat when I remembered I didn't have to string lights either because our tree is pre-lit! Yea! This will be done in no time!

You know what's coming next, right?

Well, let's not skip ahead.

First, I put the tree stand together and assembled the tree. Not so bad! Check out what my helpful helpers did while I wrestled with the tree.......

Call us if you need us!

Then I plugged in the lights. Going good so far! What? Wait a second! Two parts of the tree were not lit. Hmmmmmm.......where are those instructions? Much to my surprise, I saved them when we bought the tree and they were in the box. Whew.

Take special note of #3

It must be a blown fuse. Wow, I did not know that a string of lights had a fuse. I thought you just plugged those suckers in the wall. OK, open the plugger and pop them out. No problem!

Please note.....in case you need this for future reference.......here is what the fuse in a string of lights looks like.....

When I saw the fuses I thought they looked familiar. What I was thinking was "Darn those look like the things I threw out last week." For what seemed like YEARS there were assorted Christmas light bulbs in my silverware drawer. And, those little fusey things. Well, I didn't know they were fuses. I kept those things forever. Just. In. Case. I also thought "Maybe I didn't throw them out....maybe I have just been meaning to throw them out, but never did. Maybe I imagined it." Then I could see them everywhere. You know when you are looking for something and try to imagine where you saw it last, and you can just picture it everywhere?

In my mind, I saw it here:

Looks like at least one of them is trying to help

and here:

In case you were wondering, there were no fuses here....

Then I get distracted because I'm in the kitchen and there are crackers from Thanksgiving....which reminds me of the cheese ball from Thanksgiving. So, I stopped and had a snack.

Then I caught sight of this turkey my son made last year and I thought.....why does that turkey have boobs?

I never found any fuses.

What to do, what to do? Maybe the fuses aren't blown. Maybe I should look at the ones in the lights and check them out. OK, let's try that.

Per the instructions, they should just drop out into your hand (see item #3 referenced earlier). They may need some gentle tapping. Let me warn you. That's a lie! They need to be pried out with a screw driver (or hem ripper, which is what I had handy).

So I pried those babies out of the plug and examined them. Those suckers are tiny. I held them up to the light and they looked ok. Then I saw a funny shadow, but when I turned the fuse over, the shadow stayed at the bottom. It looked like maybe, possibly, per chance, it could be a burn mark. It was like the first time you get a positive home pregnancy test result. You see a faint line, but you aren't really sure. Maybe it's a shadow? Maybe it's part of the plastic from the back shining through? Maybe I should go drink some wine? You ladies know what I'm talking about.

It wasn't a burn mark. The fuse was fine! I put them both back in the plug. Several times. Since they don't just "fall into your hand" per the instructions when you are removing them, they don't exactly go back in the plug easily either. Anyway, after pushing and squeezing and lots of poking with the hem ripper, they went back in the plug. And the lights worked. Yea!

Now it's time for ornaments! Where are the kids? Oh, here are a couple......

I guess they got bored while momma was working on microscopic fuses.

Anyhoo.....here is our tree!

Please note the clusters of ornaments on the lower middle half. Guess who's about 3 feet tall?

It's over. It's done. It's up. I am glad. I love our little tree, but I don't know how people put up two and three trees! That's a lot of work. First of all, my tiny house would look like a forest if I had more than one. Second....well, there really is no second. One tree is good enough for me. Wait, there is a second. If we had more than one tree, my kids would expect presents to be under each one.

And that's the end of that story.

Merry Christmas and I hope all of your lights are lit!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-11-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight I learned two things:

1) I should clean out my freezer more often.
2) I should make sure there are no small children standing under the freezer while I am digging through it, lest a roast fall on their face.

Don't look up, it's raining meat!

If you haven't guessed by now, roast is on the menu for this week. Also if you haven't guessed by now, a small (thank goodness) rock-hard, frozen roast fell on my poor baby's eye. After I ran next door to get a second opinion on whether or not we needed a stitch or two, I thought about our menu for the week. And, here it is! There are lots of leftovers this week.

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for Menu Plan Monday to see hundreds of other awesome menus. And, Happy Thanksgiving!

Fresh Tomato-Sausage Pasta and salad/fresh vegetables with dip (we did not get to this last week)

Dilled Pot Roast

Leftovers

Pancakes and Eggs (per the request of a certain second grader)

Thanksgiving

More Leftovers!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-11-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend I finally flipped through some magazines from a friend that had lots of recipes--Real Simple and Clean Eating. I love Real Simple, but sometimes my kids don't care for the recipes, but I think found some good ones.

The first one (fresh tomato-sausage pasta) was actually just an ad, but it looked so good I had to google it. And the last one (slow cooker chicken tacos) was something my same friend had made at a party Friday night. So, thanks friend! Although tomorrow morning at 7am I won't be thanking her because we are working out with the trainer. So, while you are still in bed or getting the kids ready for school, I may be passed out on a concrete floor under a pile of weights. I'll try to stay positive.

Here is our menu for the week. All of it makes me happy! Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for Menu Plan Monday to find more exciting new recipes. That is how I found the casserole listed below. It's a fantastic resource for menu planning.

Fresh Tomato-Sausage Pasta and salad/fresh vegetables with dip

Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie with fruit

Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

(or at least that's what I'm calling it.

I am tossing chicken breast, salsa, black beans and corn into the slow cooker)

Happy menu planning!

The Christmas Spirit

2011-11-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

It's happening, dag nabbit. I did not mean for it to happen. I did not want it to happen. But, I am getting into the Christmas spirit. I'm sorry Thanksgiving. I'm still trying to keep it at bay. Maybe I can just combine the two and be extra festive?

It all started with a dance-a-thon. In my kitchen. To keep the kids busy, and preserve some of my sanity while making dinner, I yelled "Who wants a dance-a-thon?!" Meeee!! Meeee! Me!!!

I turn on the radio.....to Christmas songs......and what was playing you might ask? Holly Jolly Christmas. Next you might ask--so what? That's the song the Second Grader sang the whole month before Christmas and at least one month after when he was in kindergarten. Ahhh, the memories.

Next up were two Polar Express songs. Which of course remind me of the Christmas spirit and that darn bell that falls out of the boy's robe pocket, which always gets me all choked up. Because, who doesn't NOT want to hear that bell jingle? Then you are a total Scrooge! And, in case you are wondering, like I was, the name of the boy in that movie is never revealed. I checked google and http://www.imdb.com/.

All I needed next was to hear a Karen Carpenter song or Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg and my Christmas spirit transformation would have been complete. FYI, I love Dan Fogelberg....I am from Louisville and when I hear him sing Run for the Roses....again, all choked up. And, don't ever ask me "What weekend in May is the Derby?" Or, "Isn't Derby Pie really just pee-can pie with some chocolate chips?" Oh geez, that's another post.

No, we are not putting up the tree yet. I am going to enjoy Thanksgiving. But, Santa did start some shopping tonight.....thank you Amazon.

And, thank you Super Saver Shipping.

It's too early for Christmas!

2011-11-10T10:23:00.000-08:00

I'm holding on to Fall as long as I can. Check out our jack-o-lantern......it's still kickin'! Kind of....

It was an owl silhouetted against a full moon. Now it's just kind of a moon. Or a hole. With some bugs inside. Guess who punched out the owl?

Watch it buddy or I'll punch out your owl!

I love Halloween. I like to savor it. The kids Trick or Treat. I sit by the fire and eat chilli and drink wine. Sounds like a good combo doesn't it? This year hubby had to work, which was a downer. But, we did live it up the Saturday before Halloween at Trunk or Treat at church. Check us out!

Once we got to the party, I drew a ginormous bushy moustache on Husband. When he went outside to give out candy, it was a little chilly, so he put on his gray sweatshirt. To complete the stalker look, he didn't even stand next to a car for Trunk or Treat....we were leaving for another party right after and I did not want to have to dodge little kids dressed in black at night to get out of the parking lot, so we parked on the other side.

Sooooooo, here's what he looked like.

Hey there kiddos! I also have puppies in my van! Come and see!

He went from Homecoming Court to creepy guy in 2.2 seconds. Heee heee heeee it was hilarious.

I do love Halloween. I just love Fall. And where has it gone? What about Turkey Day? We need to make time for that!

Two days after Halloween, I went to Walmart. They were playing Christmas music! That is not what I want to hear on a dreary, rainy Fall day. And, I do love me some Bing Crosby. But, not when there are dead, brown leaves blowing around in my yard. Only when it's freezing outside and I see a few flakes in the air. Oh, and after the calendar says at least November 25th.

I want to see some more brown, orange and yellow. Some golden-brown turkeys glistening with butter on a well-set dining room table. I want to smell rolls and stuffing when I walk into Kroger and hear a little Muzak....and not the holiday kind. Just some elevator music. I'd like to hold off on Christmas until I see the big guy in the red suit at the END of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

But, you know who wishes Christmas would start as soon as possible? Like....tomorrow? This little guy.

Oh yeah baby!

He has already told me the things he wants for sure. They are, in no particular order:

Walkie Talkies

Book Light

and.........

The Easter Bunny!

I bet he wouldn't want this one though.....

Yikes!!

At least he's being strategic. Easter Bunny for Christmas = lots o' candy ALL the time...not just on Easter! Jackpot!

I guess I better go set some traps for that darn bunny.

Hope you are enjoying this FALL season!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2011-11-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

I love to read. My husband loves to read. Now, the Second Grader loves to read. I am so proud of him. He loves chapter books and has read quite a few. Next, we have to work on the Middle Child.

Might be a little more challenging....

Well, hello there my dear!

But, there is hope.....

Middle Child is doing much better on his alphabet and numbers. I cannot wait until he can read. It will open up such a big world for him.

This his how much his big brother likes to read. He fell asleep like this.

One of our favorite books is The Invention of Hugo Cabret. If your kids love to read, or if you love to read, or if you WANT your kids to love to read, READ them this book! Did you get that? I'll explain.

This book is fantastic.

And, if you don't believe me, believe Hollywood. Because they are always right! Well, in this case they are, because they are making a movie out of the book.

Read more about it HERE on http://www.familyfriendlycincinnati.com/ And, enjoy!!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-11-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

This week I am lacking inspiration. Halloween is over....the rain cleared up, so we went Trick or Treating, had an awesome fire and ate lots of chili and hot wing dip! It was a great night. The boys had a sleepover this weekend. My mom came up for a visit. The fun is over and this week should be pretty quiet. Ahhhhh! Maybe I can finally read my library book? Well, that and get ready for a craft fair.

When I am feeling bored with my menu and not looking forward to making one, I check out lots of other blogs to let someone else inspire me. My friend Katie at The Little Things Journal inspired me this week. Thanks Katie! Here is our menu plan, with links. And, later this week I'll post the recipe for the Stay At Home Pasta. I will reveal a little and tell you that it has 10 cloves of garlic in it, so after you eat it, you'll need to........stay at home!! Oh stop! You know you love it. All joking aside, it is one of my favorite recipes and probably one of the easiest. And, the kids really like it.

To find even more inspiration, check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ and look for Menu Plan Monday. Participating in Menu Plan Monday keeps me on track each week.
Happy cooking!

Quick Quiche (never made this last week!)

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Skillet Pork Chops with Rosemary Mustard Cream Sauce

Bean Soup and corn bread

Stay at Home Pasta (recipe this week! 10 cloves of garlic!)

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Usually I feel so peaceful when I wake up early in the morning and hear rain pounding on the roof. But, not this morning. It's Halloween! The one night of the year we pull out all the tables and lawn chairs, plug in the crock pots of chilli and BBQ, light a fire in the court (or sometimes the tree as was the case a couple years ago) and Trick or Treat! We don't want rain tonight! So, let's hope it clears up by this evening....and that someone remembered to cover the firewood with a tarp.

Here is our menu for Halloween week. It's cooler this week, so I'm excited to make Butternut Squash Soup. This is one of my favorites. Do you have a favorite fall soup? If so, please share it in the comments section! I would love to find a wonderful pumpkin soup recipe.

Don't forget to check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for Menu Plan Monday.
Happy cooking!

Halloween Chili and BBQ with the neighbors!

Butternut Squash Soup and grilled cheese

Spaghetti with homemade sauce and salad

Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas, beans and fruit

Quick Quiche

Disney on Ice

2011-10-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Remember a while back when I asked readers to tell me their favorite Disney character for the Disney on Ice giveaway? I never told you mine. I have a confession to make. My favorite Disney character......is Captain Hook. Well, I have a few favorites, but he is right up there in the top 2 or 3. It's the flaming red velvet coat, the long flowy black hair, the whole pirate business. There is something about a man in uniform. It must be the bad boy image. Ladies, who's with me?

I think I hear crickets chirping.

Well, whatever. I like Captain Hook. And I tried and tried tonight at Disney on Ice to get a great picture of him in all of his grandeur....standing tall in his boots (until I sadly realized it looked like he was wearing white knee-highs with black flats), black mane a' flowin', red coat neatly cinched at the waist....and then he got eaten by an inflatable crocodile the size of my living room. And, much to my disappointment, he did not come out for a final bow. I guess if you are in a croc's belly, you can't make it for a standing O. Here are the pictures I did get of him.

*sigh* Ok, I'm weird. I know.

How can you not love the coat? I want one for myself....maybe that's the problem...and the HAT! I haven't even mentioned the hat!

Watch out! That's Peter Pan behind you!! Not Wendy!

Ok, Ok, enough about Captain Hook.

Disney on Ice was fantastic!! And who else says so? These munchkins, that's who!

FYI, he's closing his eyes on purpose. I tried.

Thanks to our friends at Feld Entertainment for treating us to such a wonderful experience and fantastic seats. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire show which told the stories of The Little Mermaid, Lilo and Stitch, The Lion King and Peter Pan. How can you not enjoy a show where there is ice skating AND flying? Peter Pan and his gang flew off into the night sky at the end of the show, which totally amazed my kids. Each portion of the show told the story of the Disney movie and the ice dancing was fantastic.

My daughter, who appears to be more normal than me, spotted her favorite character right away!

But here are a few others she enjoyed:

The whole gang!

How often do you see hula dancers on ice?

Lilo and Stitch

Those are some big starfish!

If you haven't been to this show yet, there is still time! You have two more days. Click here and purchase discounted tickets . Take advantage of a special discount by clicking on the Family 4 Pack offer. This package includes 4 tickets to any Disney On Ice performance of your choice, 4 small popcorns, 4-16oz lemonades and 4 lollipops – all for just $99! It’s not valid on Circus Celebrity or VIP seats; no double discounts; minimum of 4 tickets per order.

Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's over and I survived. Fall Festival! Thank you slow cooker...you sure did come in handy. There was only one menu item we did not get to, and I've listed it as a repeat for this week. The Creamy Beef Over Noodles. This week will be much slower, but I'm still looking for meals that are not too time consuming because I have a lot of catching up to do.

One other note. For the past 3 weeks the Second Grader has requested "the good chicken." He means the Grilled Chicken Thighs with Lemon-Herb Oil, listed below. I usually roast it, not grill it....mostly because we are out of propane! And, sometimes I just throw a whole chicken in so everyone gets a piece they like. It's a super easy recipe and very good!

So, here's how our menu looks this week.

Creamy Beef Over Noodles with peas and corn (Slow Cooker!)

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Lemon-Herb Oil from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook and green beans

Potatoe Bar with fresh vegetables and dip

Homemade Pizza (thanks to my mother in law who shared the Italien Basket she won at Fall Festival!)

Roasted Brined Chicken from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook with sweet potatoes and swiss chard

We can use left over chicken in chicken enchiladas for the weekend!

Make sure you head over to http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for Menu Plan Monday to get lots of inspiration!

Kid Induced ADD

2011-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I saw an article the other day on another blog about moms having Attention Deficit Disorder. I didn't read it because, ironically, I didn't have the patience. I am a skimmer and unless I am riveted, I often don't read the whole thing. I know. I know. Anyway, the point was that sometimes, well, a lot of times, we start something and don't finish it because we stop mid-way and start something else. Then we don't finish that second task either because we do the same thing part way through that task. They said this was "mom induced" ADD, meaning that the "ADD" is caused because we are so busy as moms.

This is the story of my life. But, my "ADD" is kid induced, not mom induced. Well, sometimes it's mom induced because I do volunteer for a lot. But, let's talk about the kid induced stuff, which is way more fun.

Picture it. I am upstairs sending emails for Fall Festival. I hear a little voice downstairs....."I need scissors!" That's never good. I go downstairs. Middle Child needs scissors to cut his way into the laundry room. Yep, you heard me right.

Nice!

This is yarn I am was going to use to make scarves for Christmas. I am not going to worry about it now. I will just throw it all back in the box and unravel it later. I can't throw it all back in the box because it is some how twisted around the fridge handle. How in the heck did he do this??

I try to pull it through the handle....no luck. I look around for scissors, a knife....anything sharp. Because I am too lazy to go upstairs and get scissors, I seriously consider trying to tear it or bite it. Geez.

Here's what is happening while I am trying to shove it back in the box.

How long will he be able to get by on his looks? He is kinda cute.

Can a gal get a break around here??

I go back upstairs to finish my Fall Festival emails.....and to write this article, because, I have kid induced ADD. Writing about it is more fun than cleaning it up....or doing stuff for Fall Festival. But, now that I'm upstairs, I guess I could get the scissors and cut the yarn off the fridge.

Then I'd have to stop writing.

It's just an endless cycle, isn't it?

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

I am going to kick next week's butt. That's right. I am going to win. Before I started writing this, I was thinking how hooooorrible the week is going to be. How busy and tiring. Next Saturday is Fall Festival at the Second Grader's school and I am a co-chair. Also, we are finishing popcorn sales for Cub Scouts, for which I am also a co-chair. So, I'll be at school a lot this week. Yeah me! But, then I thought, well, yeah, it's totally going to be awful with that attitude! So, with a slow cooker as my weapon, I will blow this week out of the water. Talk to me on the 23rd and see how I did. Hopefully, I can still stand.

Anyway, I found a wonderful site full of slow cooker recipes and have included links. I am especially excited to try the macaroni and cheese. I may add some sundried tomatos, onions and chicken to my serving. I had mac and cheese with those ingredients at a local restaurant that was fantastic.

Don't forget to check out Menu Plan Monday at http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for more inspiration! Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef with salad and fruit

Creamy Beef Over Noodles with peas and corn

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese with fresh vegetables and dip

Restaurant-Quality Crock Pot Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

White Chili (using frozen leftover chicken from last week's rotisserie chicken)

My Life Stinks

2011-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

My life stinks. Literally. There's a funky smell around here. In my car, in the boy's room, in my kitchen sink. I try so hard to smell good. I use Bath and Body works. I do the whole layering thing. Use shower gel, then lotion. I like perfume. I use candles and tarts. Open windows. Bleach. But, the stink is taking over. It reminds me of my brother's room when we were kids. He had lizards, turtles, gerbils, rats...yes RATS. They were soft and furry but they still had those long, nasty, ratty tails. They were still rats. My grandma had a white rat when she was a kid....until she dropped a dresser drawer on it by accident. But, I digress.

The stink. What to do? Well, let's start with the van. I drive it every day. I'm sick of the stink. Doesn't a clean car make you feel good? A really clean car reminds me of a first date. Or prom. You know a guy has a date when you see him with a bottle of ArmorAll in one hand and a vacuum in the other. Throw in a cinnamon scented air freshener and you are good to go! But, ArmorAll, a vacuum and some little Christmas tree shaped piece of cardboard is not going to help my van. I need a chisel and a pressure washer.

The front seats don't look too bad. Just your average dusting of dirt and some pine needles. As I venture to the middle seats, still not so dirty. There are some crumbs, a lollipop stick, a couple of smarties and a crumpled up piece of paper.

The back seats are where all Hell breaks loose.

I need a face mask to go back there. I suddenly feel very guilty for all the times my poor mother-in-law has wedged herself between the boys' car seats. Because, here is what the seat between their seats looks like....

Those are yogurt covered raisins. They are wet. Don't ask me why. Who knows what goes on back there. Some of the yogurt is ground into the seat. There are also chicken nugget crumbs, a ranch dressing container (that has gotten knocked over and smeared into the seat), various fast food containers, Lego pieces, lollipop sticks, and some unidentified candy.

Check out the cup holder. G R O S S. That green lump is a melted ear plug leftover from the pool this summer. It's October.

No wonder it stinks in here. And, I haven't even looked under the seats yet!

After washing the outside, I vacuumed and wiped down every sticky surface on the inside. I thought I did a pretty good job. But, when the Second Grader got in it, he informed me it smelled like a fart.....luckily, his brother giggled and said "That's because I just did!!"

Oh, boys....

After you clean your car, don't forget to enter the Disney on Ice family four-pack ticket giveaway! The contest ends next Wednesday and there are several ways to enter. Good luck!

.

Disney on Ice GIVEAWAY!!--CLOSED

2011-10-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kandi, the winner of the Disney on Ice family four pack!

This giveaway is now closed.   Thank you to all who entered.

Please keep reading for the always funny stories about my life, future giveaways and weekly menu ideas!

Have you been waiting for the Disney on Ice giveaway?! Here it is!

You have a chance to win a Family four-pack to see Disney on Ice: Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Tickets are for the performance on Thursday night, October 27th at 7:00 pm. In this production, your family can watch Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they travel to four exciting destinations in one fun-filled ice show: Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Peter Pan!

You can enter to win this family four-pack THREE times. Please leave your email with each entry.

First entry: Leave a comment telling me your favorite Disney character, and of course your email.

Second entry: Subscribe to I'm Living the Good Life via the email link on the top right of this blog, "like" I'm Living the Good Life on Facebook, or become a follower of I'm Living the Good Life (scroll down and look at the right side of the blog page for box). Leave one comment stating you did one of these and you get another entry.   If you already do one of these things, just leave a comment saying so. Please make sure you leave your email address.

Third entry: Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook page or twitter feed. Leave a comment that you did and get a third entry.   As always, make sure you leave your email address!

This contest closes on Wednesday October 19th at 8:00 pm. A winner will be chosen using Random.org and will notified by email. Please make sure you leave a valid email with EACH comment/entry.  Tickets will be available at Will Call the night of the performance. A valid ID is required to pick up your tickets.

Would you like more chances to enter to win? There are a couple other blogs posting giveaways as well. Check them out:

Karen has TWO giveaways on Little World After All
Kristin as a giveaway ending October 14th on MasonMetu
Family Friendly Cincinnati has a giveaway with three chances to enter (to be posted Wednesday October 12th)
Katie's giveaway is on her blog The Little Things Journal

Check back periodically to see if more blog contests are added.

Remember, you can still click here and purchase discounted tickets . Take advantage of a special discount by clicking on the Family 4 Pack offer. This packge includes 4 tickets to any Disney On Ice performance of your choice, 4 small popcorns, 4-16oz lemonades and 4 lollipops – all for just $99! It’s not valid on Circus Celebrity or VIP seats; no double discounts; minimum of 4 tickets per order.

Good luck and start entering!

Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I made meals I knew the kids would love. And, they did. The Second Grader told me I was the BEST green bean maker ever! Thanks. I sure do know how to open a can. But, when he told me I was the best hamburger maker ever, that meant a little more. I did form those little patties with my own bare hands, and throw in a couple spices.

Anyway, last week was super kid friendly and this week is slow cooker week. Fall Festival is upon us and I was ~~out of my mind~~ super excited to volunteer to co-chair this event! I hardly have time to make sure my kids have clean underwear, so the slow cooker is my friend right now. I am especially excited to try the slow cooker rotisserie chicken. If I can get a chicken to taste like it's been cooked on a rotisserie in my slow cooker, I'm all for it. Here are some delicious sounding recipes I found from other bloggers...using Menu Plan Monday at http://www.orgjunkie.com/. Check out her site and for lots of inspiration!

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken Teriyaki

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and Rice

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken

Breakfast: Eggs, pancakes and turkey bacon

Chili

Leftovers

This week I added an extra menu item because I'm planning for the weekend and some cool weather leftovers.

Happy cooking!

Cousins

2011-10-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

I always wished I had a huge family. Well, I do have a big family, but they live all over the place, so it's not like we have dinner together every week. I can't even call my mom and have her come over real quick for something. And, boy do I wish I could do that. "Mom, come over now. I need a drink, stat! Walgreens closes in 10!"

*sigh*

I have a younger brother and two cousins who lived close growing up. We had some good times......

Like the time we made a snow woman. With boobies. And my grandma and her boyfriend (gentleman friend) posed in front of it for a Kodak moment. Oh yes. We did. Oh yes. They did.

Check out those babies!

Probably the best part about this snow woman was how proud it made my grandma. I'm not sure why. Maybe our creativity? Our ability to build a 6 foot tall snow person? Our spectacular team building abilities? I don't know. She was so proud, she mailed a copy of this picture to her friend in Maryland. It gets better. I guess she wasn't too proud, because she whited out me' lady's nipples. With liquid paper.

In another display of our creative talents, my younger cousin and I donned my grandparents glasses and clothes and mocked them in their living room. While my grandma got out the camera and had a good laugh, my grandpa wasn't amused.

We had a lot of fun growing up. We liked to prank call. My favorite was calling the Hellmans out of the phone book and asking them if they had any mayo. Original, I know. We also called some guys named Kermit and told them they were late for Muppet Show rehearsal. We were 10. What can I say?

Even after we hit our teens, we didn't act much older than 10. The two oldest got put in charge of hiding Easter eggs for the younger two. Did we fill them with jelly beans like we were supposed to? Well, some of them. The other ones we filled with dirt. And, we even told them to keep an eye out for the special prize egg. The giant silver L'eggs Pantyhose egg! We didn't fill that one with dirt. We put a note in it that said "Haha. You lose!" Or something just as bad.

One year my grandma got brave and made gingerbread houses with the four of us. We had a lot of fun. Some of us more than others....my brother did not have a completed house to take home. He ate most of it. The part he didn't eat sat around our coffee table and he finished it off one gumdrop at a time. I think my mom would catch him gnawing on it periodically. I have to say it survived longer than the gingerbread house my son made when he was in preschool. I sat on it in the car on the way home. Woopsie.

As we got older, the fun continued.....

Woo hoo! Partay!!

FYI, someone in the top picture (below) has nearly a six-pack of Miller hidden in his shorts....we were on our way to the movie theater. It's always good to carry a cold one or two or four to the movies. I needed a cold one after he told me to "show the ticket guy your breast-essss-essss and get us in for free!!" in a loud voice. In the ticket line. Oh, cuz!

Check out my brother's Magnum P.I. 'stache. No, we were not at Luau.

I love my cousins and my brother. We don't live close now, but we still talk a lot. My cousin who lives the farthest away and I sometimes have ebay contests. Who can sell the craziest crap? He takes the cake on that one. Who spends $60 on an old wine bottle with junk glued to it?? His customers. Kudos to him. He sent my son the complete Planet of the Apes book set the other day. I wish he lived closer so we could have yardsale contests in stead of selling our crazies on ebay.

1977 (?)

1997

My brother and I had some fun times on our own.....everyone has the "bad paid for pictures." We had one I really wish my mom had bought. That was before digital cameras. We waited two weeks for Olan Mills to get our proofs ready. Finally, the big day arrived. We went to the studio and as we sat down, my brother said "I cannot wait to see the one where I crossed my eyes!" Too bad the photographer didn't whip out the camera and get a shot of my mom when he said that!

Here's what we ended up with.

I used to pick on my brother a lot. Now he's bigger than me, so I don't.

And what about my girl cousin? We had boys 3 weeks apart. And girls 3 months apart. We go to the same art fair every year as part of tradition. Our favorite part is lunch....and Kizito Cookies after. Check us out!

That middle guy is no relation.

With the holidays around the corner, I'll get to see more of my family. We'll sit around and talk and laugh. Maybe we'll get out without the kids! We can relive some old memories. Make some new ones. And if it snows, and someone's packing Miller in their pants, things might get really crazy! Just you wait.....

Homemade Dumplings

2011-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

I love dumplings. Thick, chewy, doughy dumplings. What a comfort food. We had them last week and I thought you might like to see how easy they are to make. My mom introduced me to a super easy recipe that the kids love. And, I'd love to share it with you!

You need 4 things.

Yes, I know, this is only 2 things. Keep reading!

A roll of biscuits. I like the butter flavor ones.
Flour
Chicken broth
Chicken (this time around I used chicken thighs, but you can use white meat or even just canned chicken)

Boil your broth. When it starts to boil, throw in the chicken (IF you need to cook it. If you are using canned chicken, add it LAST). I only used a small amount of broth this time....I had about half of a box left. I added water and when the chicken cooked, it made more broth. See how cheap this recipe can be?

While your chicken is cooking, start on the dumplings. Easy. Grab a biscuit from the can. Dip the entire thing in flour. Flatten it with your fingers. Cut it into fourths with a pizza cutter. There's ya some dumplins'.

Next step. Keep your kids out of the flour.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove it and throw the dumplings into the boiling broth. Maybe not throw, but you get the point. They will sink (unless, like me, you don't have a ton of broth in there...which is ok as long as it's not too dry). When they are done, they will rise to the top.

Shred the chicken and add it to the mix. You are done. Enjoy!

Mmmmmmmm, just like Cracker Barrel!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm looking for stuff the kids will really eat. They usually try whatever I make, but some of it comes right back out of their mouths. Well, two of their mouths. The Second Grader usually eats it all. He's my exotic eater. The boy eats sushi! I had to eat mine super fast because I saw him eyeballing it the other night. The other two kids are starting to look like stick people and need some meat on them bones. So, here is our menu! Make sure you check out Menu Plan Monday on http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for lots of inspiration this week!

Lasagna and salad

Buffalo Sliders with Smokey Remoulade Sauce from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

Baked Stuffed French Toast with Jam from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook

Dana's Lightened Up Chicken Parmesan

Leftovers (I'm sure we'll have lots of lasagna!)

Happy menu planning!

Disney on Ice

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

My kids have never been to Disney World. I can hear all of you gasping in horror from my dining room. I know. I know. One day they will.....when they can pay their own way. Well, maybe before then. But until that time, there is Disney on Ice!

Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey is coming to the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio October 27-30, 2011 . We can watch Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they travel to four exciting destinations all in one fun-filled ice production! We will be transported straight from our seats into the magical worlds of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Peter Pan in this spectacular show created for the entire family!

Would you and your kids like to go to? Would you like discounted tickets? You are in luck! Click here and you can purchase discounted tickets. Take advantage of a special discount by clicking on the Family 4 Pack offer. This packge includes 4 tickets to any Disney On Ice performance of your choice, 4 small popcorns, 4-16oz lemonades and 4 lollipops – all for just $99! It’s not valid on Circus Celebrity or VIP seats; no double discounts; minimum of 4 tickets per order.

In the mean time, how's about a coloring page? Check out this cool coloring page featuring lots of your Disney friends. And, stay tuned for a GIVEAWAY coming soon!

Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

Aloha! From My Neck of the Woods

2011-09-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. It is, by far, my favorite season.

Roasting hot dogs and marshmallows at night over a fire.

Celebrating Halloween with our neighbors.

Keeping my eyes peeled for 6 foot tall red-headed leprechans. 'Tis the season!

But this Fall has been a little blah so far. No leprechan sightings. Kind of rainy. One week it's hot and then suddenly it changes to cold. I'm overwhelmed with making sure 3 kids have the right type of clothes to wear. That means digging through bins and bins of hand-me-downs to decide what fits and what does not. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to "go shopping" for next season's wardrobe in my basement, but it's just a tedious job that creates a week's worth of clutter. I know....I can hear you feeling sorry for me. Boo hoo! We all do it. Suck it up.

Another reason this Fall is kind of blah is....guess where I was this time LAST Fall? Now you are really going to feel sorry for me.

Hawaii.

Aloha folks!

Yes, folks, that's where I was. Guess where I am this week? The Cub Scouts Raingutter Regatta and a PTA meeting. Now, where would you rather be? Watching 45 boys propel wooden boats down a rain gutter with their own breath or cruising along Hanalei Bay in a convertible Mustang? Yeah, that's what I said too. Although this Scout is awful cute. Maybe I can buy some popcorn from him.

Thanks Amy for this awesome shot!

My trip to Hawaii wasn't just a fun-filled sunshiney get-away. Well, ok, it was. BUT, it was so much more than that. I went with my mom. We are very close. She lived in Hawaii twice and there is a lot of history there for her. History that I hear about all the time. All the time. History that I had a very hard time understanding until I saw it.

The place where she first met my Dad. And I mean, I saw the steps in front of a building where she first laid eyes on him. The church where they were married. Her highschool. My aunt's elementary school. The street where all of the cross-dressers hung out....um, yes, my mom's stepdad thought this was hilarious so I got to see that too. Hotel Street in Waikiki, in case you are visiting.

My mom always, always calls me when there is a show on about Hawaii. I don't always listen. She knows that. But, when I saw Rabbit Island for the first time, in person, I was amazed. And, I'll never forget, she smiled and said "You'll never think of it the same way again." She is right. Now I've seen it--and one day I can call my kids and pester them about Diamond Head and China Man's Hat. Haha, get ready, because I deserve it after all of the crayon marks I've wiped off walls this week!

SEE! It really DOES look like a rabbit peeking up out of the water!

What a trip! What an experience! How nice to eat a hot meal and not have to cut up someone else's meat! And, ice cream....all to myself!!

Did I miss my kids? Absolutely! Did I enjoy my break from them? ABSOLUTELY! As I'm sure they enjoyed their break from me.

The beauty of the islands astounded me. I really had no idea how colorful and vibrant the landscape was. The air even felt cleaner. Well, since we are one of the smoggiest cities around, I'm sure any air feels cleaner. Check out this plumeria. Growing on a volcano. Surrounded by dead grass and trees. Sprouting out of lava. How determined! It's just amazing!

After 8 days in Hawaii, of course I missed my kids. And my husband. Although I think he had a new found appreciation for me when I returned. It's since worn off, so maybe I should plan another trip? Yeah, that's just not in the cards any time soon.

Although it sounds corny, one of the most beautiful sights was when I returned home. My husband picked us up at the airport and I sat in the front seat. I turned around and saw my kids. Baby girl with her hair that had finally started to grow....in a pony tail on top of her head sticking up straight like a candle. Middle child with donut on his face and dirty jogging pants. And Second Grader with bushy hair in need of a trim. Smiling at me with shy but giggly faces.

So, this Fall, as I feel a little melancholy, I will look through my Hawaii pictures and share them with my kids. I will tell them stories about our trip....and answer 80 million questions. I can only imagine what questions this picture will prompt....

It's a guy. Wearing a suit made entirely of newspaper. Reading a newspaper. This may be our new Halloween costume. At least it will be cheap!

Aloha! And, Happy Fall!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

I checked the weather before I planned our weekly menu. Usually, I don't care, but this week I am not up for heavier food if the weather is not Fall-like. I was sad to see rain, rain and more rain. Oh well, at least I am getting a lot of wear out of my cool rain boots. And, what better weather for a pot roast? I found this recipe on my friend Katie's blog the little things journal. It sounds fantastic. And easy. Right up my alley! Another great yucky weather menu item--chicken and dumplings! I make these using buttery biscuits in a can. I'll post the menu this week. Also on the menu, left over stew and a delicious and savory sounding chicken smothered in cheese, mushrooms and bacon. I cannot wait!

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for all of the other Menu Plan Monday participants. Lots of inspiration!

Happy menu planning!

Bacon Cheese Topped Chicken

Dilled Post Roast

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

Grilled Cheese and Vegetable Beef Stew (frozen from last week)

Leftovers or Dinner Out

The Writing on the Wall

2011-09-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

The other day a friend came over. We stood outside for a while talking before she left. I said......hmmmmm......where is Middle Child? It's awfully quiet. She didn't know either. Must be inside still.

Oh yes, he was inside. Doing this...........

Check out the tattle tale......Lookie Mommie!!

And this............

See the doorknob on the left? Yes, that should show you the SCALE of the artwork.

On a positive note, they did start writing their names last week at school, so he's showing progress. I didn't have to make the dotted lines or highlighted outline for him to follow so he could sign his John Hancock on this one.

When I commented on that, he said "Do you think it's beautiful?" Now, maybe you think, "Awww! That's kind of sweet! Didn't you just melt?" No, I did not. I think you can see from this next shot how happy I was.

Not the cage, mom!!!

As I wiped down the walls with nail polish remover (no folks, hairspray wasn't cutting it), I thought, why should I be doing this alone??? So, I got a helper.

Since his muscles are the size of meatballs, he was pretty much useless, so I made him clean his room the entire time I wiped down the walls.

I try to look at the bright side. He is showing progress writing his name. He didn't use a Sharpie. He didn't use a Sharpie to draw a full beard on his face. Yes, he did do that last year. The day before professional pictures. I was too panicked to take a picture. I caught it so soon it did all come off right away.

I'm sure there are even better stories out there. What crazy things have your kids done? Put a whole roll of wadded up toilet paper in the john? Tried to slide down a flight of steps on a snow sled? Stood in the middle of a room with a full bottle of baby powder and twirled while squeezing the powder bottle to make it snow? Yes, my kids have done these things.

Well, except the last one. I did that.

Sorry Mom!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

This week I received my All You magazine. I love All You. If you are not familiar with it, it has tons of coupons (with an awesome index in the beginning to help you FIND the coupons), it has super fast to read articles, and has lots of helpful articles about beauty, fashion, kids and other mommy stuff. It's a great magazine. Plus, you can always find a great subscription price on-line or you can just go to Walmart and buy it. I don't think it's carried anyplace else.

I like to stick my magazines in my G I A N T purse and read them in my spare time....like in the waiting room at the doctor's office. This week, I finished the whole thing at the dentist office, waiting on Hannibal Lecter. Fortunately, I found a great slow cooker recipe for pork carnitas. I am anxious to try it. This should be a banner week for the kids....brinner, hashbrown casserole and Market Day! They have not been big eaters lately, so I'm hoping this week's menu will be more exciting for them.

Make sure you check out Menu Plan Monday on http://www.orgjunkie.com/. I found the Hashbrown Porkchop Casserole there. What a great place to find inspiration.

Happy menu planning!

Pork Carnitas

Brinner: Scrambled eggs with ham and cheese and pancakes

Hashbrown Porkchop Casserole (I plan on lightening this up with some lowfat ingredients)

Homemade Vegetable Beef Stew

Market Day!! Tuesday our Market Day order arrives, so I'm thinking we'll pull something from there

Hannibal Lecter

2011-09-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

My poor middle child is a tongue thruster with an open bite. Whaaaa??? For those of you who are not speech therapists or dentists, here's the deal--his bite does not close all the way in the front because his tongue is constantly pushing against his teeth. When you swallow, your tongue goes to the roof of your mouth. Try it. See? When he swallows, he still pushes his tongue to his front teeth. Ironically, he rarely took a pacifier and was not a thumb sucker, so how did he get this bum deal? Who knows. Could be worse.

After a year of speech therapy, we are moving to a retainer. This is an appliance that is cemented to his bottom teeth with a ridge that "trains" his tongue to stay in his mouth behind his teeth. That doesn't sound so bad! I had a permanent retainer after braces when I was 12. I still wear one at night to make sure my parents' monumental investment in my teeth still pays off today! Imagine my horror when the dental assistant brought out this today.......

This picture totally does not do it justice. Those are metal prongs poking up at an angle that keep his tongue under them. Youch! They don't call it a "hayrake" retainer for nothin' folks!

THAT'S going in my mouth???

I waited for screams or cries from my seat in the waiting room, but.....nothing. They said he was perfect. At home, I could make his dinner 1 degree too hot and hear screams like he was being stabbed in the eye with a pencil. But, let the dentist put a small metal appliance shaped like a garden tool in his mouth and he's fine. No problem. Unbelievable.

FYI, those are Chips Ahoy in the back. I felt sorry for the kid!

It was fun at first. I told him how cool it looked. He looked like a robot! Wait until your brother sees it! That was the highlight of the whole experience for him. He could not wait to "freak out" his brother....his words.

Watch out big brother! You'll get yours!

So, we waited for the school bus. The second grader comes in the front door and middle child runs over to him smiling.

Middle Child: "Hey, look at this! Look at my new teeth! I might bite you with them! Hahahahahahahaha!"

Second Grader: (slowly backing away with a look of pure terror in his eyes) Get. A. Way. From. Me......Get. A. Way. From. Me.......Get. A. Way. From. Me.

The second grader is walking away from middle child slowly, all the while very calmly telling him to get away from him. It reminds me of hostage negotiations or something because he's being very even keel, all the while not taking his eyes off of him. It's good to know when times are tough he can keep his wits about him. Too bad he melts down when we're late for the bus and I don't tie his shoes tight enough. Now THAT'S when I need him to keep it together.

Middle child is gaining ground and getting closer and closer to him, so second grader holds out his arm to stop him by palming his forehead. Oh yeah, that works. Before middle child decides to test his new metal grille on the second grader's arm meat, I intervene.

For the rest of the afternoon's entertainment, second grader grills middle child (haha, grills) on his new teeth.

1) Do they hurt?
2) Can he eat with them?
3) Say "fishing pole" (followed by lots of giggling)
4) Open your mouth again

Why won't this kid leave me alone??

Middle child's answers:
1) Move outta da way! (He's watching Sponge Bob)
2) Move outta da way!
3) Fisssshhhhing Pole (not bad for having a rake in your mouth)
4) Move outta da way!

Like I said, the novelty is wearing off. Dinner was cut into tiny pieces and it was still a pain for him to chew. So, what's the solution? Ice Cream!! The poor kid is already a stick and hardly eats. Now with a mouth full of barbed wire, I don't imagine he's going to be scarfing down any meals. So, we went out for ice cream. Look how happy! He ate the entire sundae.....which for him, even though it's ice cream, is quite an achievement.

Look closely, you can STILL see that darn retainer!

Linked In

2011-09-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Are you Linked In? You know.....www.linkedin.com. I am. I think. It's a little embarassing, to be honest. I keep getting invitations from people who want to be "linked in" to me. So, I accept them. I'm not really sure what I'm linked into though. It's surely not the same thing they are linked into. CEOs, Owners, Directors, Managers, Senior this, that and the other. I did update my title---Domestic CEO. Please let me know if you have one that is more fitting, or more exciting. I'm open to suggestions. Head bottom-wiper...or bottom checker, because as I wrote this, the second grader came in and said "Did I wipe good? Can you check?" and then just bent over and showed me his tater hole, no kidding. You can thank Grammy for that new term for your vocabulary. You're welcome.

Back to being linked in. I have a title. I feel like a fraud using my title from my previous position in the "real" work world. So, we'll stick with Domestic CEO for now. How about my industry? So many to choose from.

Higher Education: I am preparing little minds for the real world.
Farming: Do I really need to explain this one? I feel like I live on a farm with a bunch of pigs!
Health, Wellness and Fitness: Oh flu season, here we come.
Law Enforcement: Mom = Sheriff
Mental Health Care: Because I am always out of my mind

How do I look with my sister's tights on my head and Christmas tree beads around my waist?

My all time favorite industry, but I did not go with it, is......

Wine and Spirits!! Oh yes. Because, well, you know why.

How could you not know why after looking at this?

Or this?

Or, my all time favorite.....this:

You asked me to feed the dog!!

I decided my industry is "Executive Office." That doesn't really sound like an industry to me, but rather a place. Anyway, that's my industry. My executive office is with me where ever I go. It's the grocery. It's preschool. It's elementary school. It's.....the bathroom.

Next on the profile for Linked In is "specialities." Wooo baby! Do I ever have those! Let's see.....back in the day I could use the breastpump, talk on the phone and eat all at the same time. But, we need current specialities. Still, the list is endless.

So, I guess I am linked in. Linked in to my family. Not always to my sanity. But, linked in none the less.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

What a week! Festival meeting, Cub Scouts, first day of preschool, rehearsal dinner, wedding! Whew! And now......MENU PLANNING! What a way to start a week to make it flow smoothly. Seriously, if you are not doing this yet, you should try it. A menu turns into a grocery list, a grocery list turns into ...... well, groceries, and then....dinner! It just makes the whole week easier.

If you need more inspiration, please check out Menu Plan Monday at http://www.orgjunkie.com/. There are hundreds of other weekly menus.

As you can see, we never made it to the Parmesan Cod last week, so here it is again. Tuesday night got a little crazy so we opted for Skyline. Here is our menu for this week:

Crunchy Baked Parmesan Cod with vegetables and rice

Provolone Chicken Pizza and salad

(just like it sounds....use provolone cheese and ranch dressing as the sauce)

Taco Salad (recipe this week!)

Chicken Dijon Almond with swiss chard and mac and cheese

Leftovers or grilled cheese with veggies and dip

Now, GO PLAN THAT MENU!

The Grocery Trip

2011-09-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

My original plan was to leave for the grocery right after the second grader got on the school bus at 8:35am. Well, let's back up. My original original plan was to leave for the grocery at 7:00am and be in and out so fast I'd be home by 8:35 to get him on the bus. Yes, I could do it. I have my grocery list catagorized by aisle and my coupons grouped together.....thanks to my superb kaizen abilities and organizational skills perfected at my previous employer. Joanna, stop laughing.

Anyway, that didn't happen.

Here's what did happen. Baby girl got up at 7:00am. So, she went to the bus stop with us. In her pjs.

Then we got back home and I messed around with my list (still organizing!). Put together coupons. Calculated the exact number of items I needed to buy to get my $5 off at Kroger. Talked on the phone. Fixed baby girl's hair. We hit the road about 10:00-ish. Then we went to the coffee shop. Hey, momma's gotta have her chai!

Finally, Kroger!

One thing's for sure, I love love love the ginormous car carts! Who's with me?! Yeah, I really don't like them either. I do like them when they keep my younger two strapped in and entertained like monkeys at the zoo...... But, I don't like them when I am trying to turn the corner without knocking down the entire Cheetos display. Of course, even though I just have one kid with me, we have have have to have the ginormous car cart.

Here's the car cart.

Hey, where's the kid??

Half way through the shopping experience, here's what happened.

THERE she is!!

Now I am steering the ginormous cart with one hand and holding a peanut butter cracker eatin' kid with the other. Yes, I guess I could have just strapped her in and listened to the screams as I raced down the aisles. But, she's quite a little Houdini and ends up with the seatbelt around her shoulders or her knees while her head and arms are sweeping the floor right outside the cart. So, believe it or not, this way was faster.

At least I only had to bring one kid....right?

Goop

2011-09-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

Guess what the Cub Scouts made last week? Goop! Otherwise known as slime. Also known as a mom's worst enemy. I love me some goop! Don't you?

Here are the places I looooove goop:

In a paint brush...

On my granite counter with a Lego man trapped in it.....

On my sofa table hangin' out with grandpa......

On my son's bed.....

In the dog's fur.....

Oh wait, that didn't happen, it just ALMOST happened. Luckily I heard middle child announce his intentions and was able to intercept that one. Whew. Close call. Did I mention he starts school this week?

And, on my dresser next to a swim team trophy (that someone carried from room to room today, who knows why).......

Oh wait. That's not goop or slime. That's a marshmallow! Well, two. Yeah, don't ask. I'm not sure why it's there either.

Happy Scouting!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is the best week ever! Middle child starts school!! And, one of my very very good friends is getting married! I'm in the wedding so I've been working on blending in those darn tan lines from all the pool time this summer. Funny story...I went to Walgreens for some self tanner and had to make the trip super short. Someone had a little accident in one of the aisles. It was not the type of accident that comes out of the top half....oh yes, someone dropped a deuce in Walgreens...on the floor....and, yes, in the exact aisle where all of the self tanning products are located! So, after a little mop action and some Febreeze spraying, I picked up my bronzer.

Anyway, back to the best week ever. Here is our menu for the week. It's only 3 items because husband and I get to enjoy some free meat and wine Thursday night and some more free meat and wine Friday at the big weddin'! Fish sticks for the kids! Or something like that....

Crunchy Baked Parmesan Cod

Cheesy Mashed Potatoe Bake

thank you Professor Stacy! See Stacy's comments in the link to my previous post for the recipe

Lemon Basil Chicken thank you Katie at The Little Things blog

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at http://www.orgjunkie.com's/ blog, so make sure you check out her site for lots of inspiration!

Happy cooking!

The Kentucky State Fair

2011-08-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the title of this post already conjure up lots of redneck images for you? One of my friends on facebook summed up our Kentucky State Fair beautifully.....Walmart on steroids. I love it. I am from Kentucky, specifically Louisville, and I went to the Fair every year until I moved away, so I am allowed to poke a little fun.

Really, I do love the Fair. We used to go every year on Thursday, the very first day it opened. Why on the very first day you ask? Because we couldn't stand the wait every year and had to get in first? Because we were so excited? No, it was because the cows hadn't stunk up the place yet.

So, after being gone for 14 years and only going to the Fair twice during that time, my husband and I went this weekend. And, I've got some stories to tell.

Do you like Fair food? I love it. Fair food is like no other. They will deep fry anything. A N Y T H I N G! This year's big thing was deep fried Kool-Aide and deep fried Derby Pie. Well, there was also deep fried butter. That's the rumor anyway. It was like Big Foot. I heard about it from friends, but did not actually spot any.

I couldn't believe my luck! Derby Pie is my all time favorite pie! Let me digress a little and say to those folks who are asking "Derby Pie? Isn't that just pecan pie with chocolate in it?" Oh noooooooo, it is a special pie patented by Kern's Kitchen in Louisville and if you call any other pie Derby Pie you could get in big trouble...as in I violated a patent kind of trouble. We are very serious about it. Can you tell? FYI, I am in no way affiliated with pie makers of any kind.

So, let's start with Derby Pie, which is fantastic to begin with, and do something wonderful to it. Deep fry it. It was deeelish.

Doesn't look like much does it?

I did not try the deep fried Kool Aide, which looked like red hush puppies. No thanks. I'll pass.

What did my husband try? He is a foodie. He loves to talk food. He also loves to watch "Man vs. Food." He also is not a big fan of Derby Pie. Still, I tolerate him. That being said, how could he pass up an opportunity to try.........drum roll please.....

A DONUT BURGER!!!!

I love the description on the sign..."Fresh--Never Frozen". Because, that's the most important part. My donut burger, made with lots of fat and preservatives dipped in boiling oil that's probably been in the fryer all day and fried to a crispy golden brown, has GOT to be fresh!!

He's thinking about it....it took a little encouraging, ok, not much.

Let's talk about this donut burger. It is exactly what it says it is. A burger, sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, covered in condiments of your choosing, topped with lettuce, tomatoe and onions. Oh yeah, and cheese if you want it. Yummy!! To make it even more appetizing, check out this shot. Burgers and donuts, side by side. Together in perfect harmony. Makes me want to sing.

CHOOOOMP!!!

He was up for the challenge. After he polished off the entire burger, in less than 5 minutes, I asked him "How was it?" His answer: "Doesn't really go together."

Are ya kidding me? What a let down. I don't think he's going to be hosting his own show anytime soon. But really, I think I kind of knew that they didn't really go together. Derby Pie and fried batter do go together, in my book anyway, and that's why I opted for that instead.

After our night at the Fair (and the Maroon 5/Train concert! Woo hooo!!!) we went back to the hotel. Believe it or not, this is the first time in 8 years of kids that we have had an entire night to ourselves with no kids. Yes, I did go on a trip last year, but that was just me. This was the first time for just the two of us. Together. No kids. The silence was unbelievable. It was awesome. We quickly made up for it the next day as I got shot in the butt with a Nerf gun repeatedly and had to referee 80 gazillion fights and clean poop off the bathroom floor (more on that another day). But anyway, back to our night....or rather, the next morning.

After a restful night of sleep in a luxurious King sized bed with no children wedged between us kicking me in the stomach through the night, I took a shower. A nice hot shower with a gigantic shower head. As I was drying off, I heard it.....the fire alarm. You got it people, I'm totally naked dripping wet and there's a fire alarm. What to do?? Throw on some clothes and get the heck out of there? Ignore it? I am a rule follower. Oh yes, that is me. I can not NOT follow the rules. Luckily I am skilled at taking showers and getting ready for the day at the speed of light. My personal best is showering, washing and drying my hair, applying make-up and getting three kids dressed in 30 minutes. They ate toast in the car. No time for breakfast.

So, of course, I had no choice but to get dressed fast and go outside. Always the resourceful multi-tasker, I grabbed my makeup bag and did my makeup on the curb outside the hotel.

You'll be glad to know the hotel didn't burn down. I'm sure that's what you all thought, right?! False alarm. Of course. But, you never know! Better safe than sorry, I say. This little debacle actually put me ahead of the game because my husband had to just sit there while I got ready, curbside. Of course, he had no idea what I was doing because he was too busy scanning the crowd for Adam Levine. Because, he was absolutely sure he was out there somewhere. On a curb. Waiting out the fire drill. With his roadies. Because, I'm sure he's a rule follower too.

Aren't all rock stars?

Celebrating the First Day of School

2011-08-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

The first day of school was the week before last. Doesn't he look excited? And so handsome.

After the first day we decided to ~~be lazy~~ celebrate and go out for pizza. We wanted to go to Remundo's because my husband heard rave reviews. So, we piled in the van and drove....and drove some more....and sat in traffic.....and drove some more....more traffic....well, after much stop and go, and lots of allergy style snot sucking snorts from middle child....and lots of "STOP IT!!! You are making me ILL!" from the new second grader, we finally got there.

SNORT!!!! HONK!!!! COUGH!!

Well, well, well. What a surprise. Remundo's was a big ole' place that was mostly kitchen. They had two tables. And one was full. Plus, they were the tall super kid friendly tables with chairs that my kids like to scale like mountain climbers. No thanks. I wasn't up for making sure all 3 of them stayed perfectly balanced on their knees/butts/whatevers during dinner lest they fall on the tile floor and bust a lip. So, we went baaaaack the way we came and decided on Pasquale's. FYI, this was my the original idea.

It was a delightful dinner.....as the new second grader said "This is the best pizza I have ever tasted in my entire life in all of the universe." If you would like to read what I said, you may check out my post on the Family Friendly Cincinnati website here. Happy pizza eating! And, happy first month of school!

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter to win FREE 4 tickets to the Old West Festival in a previous post! The drawing is Wednesday night!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Wowee, I'm a little tired today! But, I know if I don't do this menu planning thing, I'll pay for it the rest of the week! Last night we went to the Maroon 5/ Train concert at the Kentucky State Fair. What a great show! Really, it was fantastic. So, while I have Hey, Soul Sister and Misery playing non-stop in my head, I'll share with you our menu for the week.

Make sure you check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ to see the hundreds of other menus planned for the week from other Menu Plan Monday bloggers.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and veggies

Stuffed Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with salad

Korean Beef Stir-Fry with rice

Hot Dogs at the pool!!!!!

Pork Lo Mein

Happy Menu planning!

Tea Time

2011-08-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

As I've posted before, I am not a coffee drinker. Yuck, yuck, yuckity, yuck. Hate it. Once I was carrying my mom's coffee and my tea in identical disposable cups with lids and accidentally took a big swig from the wrong cup. As Rowley says "ZooooooWeeeeee Mama!!!" I thought I'd never get that nasty taste out of my mouth. Ugh.

So, how do I get my kick in the morning? Before I tell you. Let me tell you about my friend who also hates coffee. She hates coffee but has to have that caffeine. So, she puts it in a big ole' cup and drinks it luke warm--through a straw. This way, she does not taste it. It always makes me laugh. It does not make her sister laugh because she doesn't always put a lid on the giant cup with said straw and ends up sloshing it all over the console of the car.

Anyway, back to me. Tea! I love tea. I especially like to drink it in my special cup...but more on that later.

Yes, I love my vanilla chai from the coffee shop. But, early in the morning, I love S T R O N G tea. No sugar, no sweetener, no honey, but I do add cream or milk. Irish breakfast tea #1, English breakfast tea #2.

Irish breakfast tea is a black tea, and is probably the strongest type of tea. I checked out Twinings website and imagine my disappointment when I read that on average, one cup of black tea only has about half the caffeine of a cup of coffee. Oh goody! Now, I can have double! Only half the caffeine of coffee? Now I feel like an even bigger wimp! Can't stand the taste of coffee and I can't handle the caffeine either. Geez.

How do I make my tea? Just stick that baby in the microwave? Oh noooo noooo nooooo. Once when I was on a trip to Pennsylvania with my mom, we stayed in a quaint little bed and breakfast. It was in the heart of Amish country. There were handmade quilts on the bed and the hardwood floors gleamed like mine never will. It was peaceful and it was wonderful. In the common area they had a glass covered tray of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. Sitting next to the cookies was a special ELECTRIC tea kettle filled with water. Simply press the button and wait about 60 seconds for boiling water to pour over your tea bag. Steep and enjoy. Ahhh. Side note: This B&B was also in the "heart" of Gettysburg where you are told 100 bazillion times everyplace was a battlefield. Where you are also told everyplace is haunted. So, rather than sleep in two separate beds we crammed into one bed because that quaint little room with the handmade quilt and gleaming hardwood floors started to look mighty creepy at 11pm.

Daytime..........

Night time........

Back to my tea. After such a classy tea drinking experience...ok, I don't get out as much as I used to....I wanted one of them fancy electric kettles! So, for Christmas one year, my mom bought me one.

Yikes, I need to clean this baby.

I love my tea kettle. The water is perfect and the cup is not 100 degrees from microwaving. So, we have the tea. We have the kettle. What about that cup I mentioned before? Well, all my friends know I like tea. One of my friends bought me that awesome cup. Why is it awesome? First of all, check out how cute it is! Second, it is BIG. Third, and yes, I am anal, the rim is curved and and allows the tea to smoothly flow into my mouth. Ok, that's a little much, but I like the shape, alright?

Now that you know how much I love this mug, imagine my horror when I see my husband using it to drink his.....COFFEE!!! Now that he knows how much it irritates me, he does it as often as possible.

Haha!

So, today, I started looking on line for a special coffee mug for him. Tell me what you think of these....

Because coffee makes everyone go....

www.cafepress.com

Best movie EVER......

www.cafepress.com

A little inspiration to start the day.......

www.cafepress.com

Wonder which one he'd like the best?

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!! Make sure you mosey on over to my giveaway in a previous post. You could win 4 free tickets to the Old West Festival!

Old West Festival--GIVEAWAY!--CLOSED

2011-08-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Will kykayakguy for winning 4 free tickets to the Old West Festival! Thank you to everyone who entered. Please stayed tuned for other giveaways, menu ideas, recipes and stories about my life that will surely amuse you. If you did not win tickets here, check out the Old West Festival's facebook page for discounts and giveaways. And, watch I'm Living the Good Life on facebook for other blogs featuring giveways to the festival.

Howdy partner! How would you like to step back in time and experience a Dodge City gun fight on the dusty roads of.......Ohio? After the gun fight, you could mosey on down to the Longbranch Saloon for a cold beer or a sarsparilla and then go panning for gold.

Yes, you read that right. Just 15 minutes from I-275, east of Cincinnati, there is a permanent old west town full of cowboys, gunfighters, cancan dancers and more. Come join them Saturdays and Sundays September 10th thru October 9th. I am happy to be partnering with the Old West Festival to offer one lucky reader a FREE FOUR PACK of tickets to this fantastic festival. Children under 5 are free.

"Visitors will be stepping back in history to a time when famous lawmen like Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp reigned, where gamblers such as Doc Holiday played faro and Boothill was a place you didn’t want to be at the end of the night." http://www.oldwestfestival.com/

At the Old West Festival there are costume contests daily, gun fight re-enactments as well as antique, western-themed and hand-made crafts. Youngsters can pan for gold or be sworn in as deputies before catching a ride on 19th century steam locomotive inspired Sante Fe Deadline.

DETAILS: There are two ways to enter to win this family 4 pack of tickets. With each entry, please leave your email address. A winner will be chosen using http://www.random.org/ at 10:00pm on Wednesday August 31, 2011 and posted on this site. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

HOW TO ENTER: You may enter this contest TWICE! Here is how:
1) Leave a comment below (with your email address) telling me who you would be if you could go back in time to an old west town. Cowboy? Outlaw? Saloon owner? Hey, I know there are some entrepreneurs out there!
2) "Like" BOTH the Old West Festival on facebook AND I'm Living the Good Life on facebook and leave me one comment that you did this.

Make sure you leave an email address with both of your entries!

Disclaimer: My family and I received tickets to the Old West Festval along with tickets for this giveaway. Thank you Old West Festival!

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Tea Time

Old West Festival--GIVEAWAY!--CLOSED

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