Halloween 2009

In short, the girls had a blast! They Trick-or-Treated for 5 hours and brought home about 30 pounds of candy and goodies. lol! It was a great night and the weather was slightly chilly, but not bad.

I give you, Izabel as Sleeping Beauty and Emily as Dorothy. Oh, and Daddy was a Zombie!! Enjoy!! I hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween!

PhotoStory Friday - The Pumpkin Patch

The girls and I made it to the pumpkin patch a little late this year, but we still had a wonderful time. Gamma took the day off work to go with us too, which the girls thought was really fun. *Daddy had to work this year. :(

We started off with some very yummy and warm pumpkin donuts and kettle corn. Izzy pretty much lingered with the bag the entire day. Both girls did slides and swings, ran through corn mazes and hay bales, rode a make shift pony, and ran free for a few hours.



Izabel's favorite part of the trip was probably feeding the many animals that call the pumpkin patch home. Geese, chickens, goats, horses, pigs, cows, ducks, and rabbits. Emily insisted (many, many times) that she wanted to see the Llama, but there was no Llama. LOL! Emmy wouldn't feed the animals either. She was excited just to stand and watch Izzy do it. Izzy carried a bag of feed with her the whole day, letting various animals lick her hand to eat.



The patch was a little bare this time, given how late in the season we were. Nonetheless, we took a hayride out to the fields and found a few lucky mounds of orange. Emily loved the tractor ride out!





We managed to come home with one large pumpkin, 4 small and a green one for moi. I guess it's only fair to mention that they are still sitting on the deck, un-carved. :)

More photos of all the above mentioned fun will start making their way to Flickr soon! Enjoy!


Hosted by Cecily and Carissa

Fall Photos and A Princess Update

I finally managed to get the girls and myself out and about today, on our own adventure. It seems we have been running here and there for weeks. Or at least I have.

I loved the photos from today. Our girls really are something special and continue to become more beautiful each moment!

I have yet to finish publishing photos from our pumpkin patch trip this year. I will have those up this weekend hopefully. They had so much fun and loved running the corn fields, picking pumpkins and feeding a gazillion farm animals.

I have been keeping really busy with the photography business. I have met so many wonderful families and amazing children. I have been very lucky to photograph some fabulous people and cannot thank them enough for allowing me to do so. I've updated a few sessions but there are still many more to come.

The girls made an unexpected trip to their pediatrician this week. It's been about 4 weeks since the start of their cold and coughing. It seems each Fall/Winter results in the same chronic cough issues. This time we think we've sorted things through. They've both been diagnosed with somewhat of a chronic lung infection. Always present after their first cold of the season, they have persistent and wet coughing, especially at night. It appears that their lungs remain inflamed and it's tougher and tougher for the lungs to recover.

Izabel and Emily were both put on two meds for the nebulizer 4 times a day. Once we get this episode under control, we will drop the daily doses but continue to do the breathing treatments every day until Spring arrives. Today is day two of the treatments and we may see improvement, but I won't say for sure for a few more days.

Halloween was last minute this year. Izabel was pretty sure she wanted to be a doctor for about the last 3 months. Then all of a sudden, she changed her mind. We spent the evening rounding up last minute things and preparing for our first trick-o-treat event on Friday. Izabel and Emily will be darling and I can't wait to share their costumes with you on Friday.

And finally, the time as finally arrived. I enrolled Izabel in her first extracurricular activity. She begins dance lessons on Saturday. To say she's excited is an understatement. My little ballerina. She will have lessons from now until May 2010. Her first recital is set for June 5th. More news and photos of this exciting adventure when they become available.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!
More photos of the girls from the last few weeks over in FLICKR! Enjoy!

And don't forget, if I am not here, I'm over there! lol!

Wordless Wednesday- How Tall This Fall?

Visit Wordless Wednesday, 5MFM and Ordinary and Awesome

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut

I've had a very busy but fabulous couple of days. We are trying to be productive before our first snow, which may be much closer than we think. The leaves have barely changed but the temps have been really cold. The girls and I will venture to the Pumpkin Patch this week, take some Fall photos and we also have a PATs event this week. Busy Busy!

So, before I forget, Rachel from Following In My Shoes was the winner of the $25.00 gift certificate to the EcoStore! I've contacted her already and I hope she's really excited! What I thought was really cool about this giveaway, random.org actually chose #1!! :) Congrats Rachel!

Now, onto another fantastic and YUMMY giveaway!

Nature Valley has recently released these Granola Nut Clusters and MyBlogSpark asked me to do a little taste testing. There are four different flavors: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut. My favorite was the Nut Lovers, but all of them were quite yummy! They are in the perfect little ball shape to eat and the girls liked them as well. They are sweet and salty and anything with granola usually goes over well with me.

"Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey - a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day. If you love nuts, you´ll enjoy this flavorful little snack featuring the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavors paired with a crunchy texture that you can see and taste. And with the first unique cluster-shaped granola packaged in a handy re-sealable pouch, it´s perfect for sharing on the trails or in your living room! "

My whole family really liked this little snack and it's much healthier than some other things I keep hidden in the house. LOL! Not to mention, nuts are full of iron and protein that are very good for you body. I will defiantly purchase these in future shopping trips.

Do you want to win the above pictured prize pack and try each flavor?? And if you have kids, they are going to love the binoculars and flashlight! :)

To enter this Yummy and Nutty giveaway, leave me a comment telling me your favorite element of nature. Winner will be chosen via random.org on OCT 30th!

PhotoStory Friday - My Babies, Growing Up

My sweet Princesses are growing up so fast. I am planning our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch. I had to go back and check out last year and when I did, I saw just how much they have grown.

"A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer." -Author Unknown

Hosted by Cecily and Carissa

Here, There and All Around

The Midwest has turned Winter in a matter of days. It's freezing and rainy and too darn early for these temps! It's made being outside unhealthy, but we've been busy none the less.

The few days before it turned very cold, the girls were able to spend some time outside with Gama. Jumping from high places, riding bikes and Izzy taking control of Mommy's Nikon. Yep, Izzy took the camera around her neck and proceeded to take some very good photos all by herself. I've taught her well. :)



We went to Tucker's 4th Birthday party and enjoyed bingo, cake and dinosaurs galore. Tucker is doing fabulous by the way. He's grown so much since he came back from Children's Hospital in Boston and is pinker than ever. His heart repair has done wonders!




I have been busy building my portfolio. My business cards came in a few weeks ago and I've been doing my best to pass them around. With the weather getting colder, I've had a lot of sessions back to back. I am enjoying it!

The princesses go in for their annual flu shots on Thursday and then Halloween is around the corner. Izabel has insisted on being a doctor and I have yet to decide what Emmy wants to be. Elmo may have a roll this year. :)

I'll try to get some more photos up this week of the girls. It seems it's been awhile since I have actually taken them out for a session. Not to mention we have are fabulous annual pumpkin patch visit to get in before the snow. Happy Tuesday!!

Oh and don't forget about my Eco friendly giveaway! Go Green!

Wordless Wednesday - Homecoming Parade Participants

Go Green With The EcoStore (Review and Giveaway)

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing some products from the EcostoreUSA. While I wouldn't consider my family the ideal "Going Green" example, we do what we can. The girls have recently learned about recycling and cartoons are now complete with subtle hints to grab out childrens attention about saving our planet.

When I was asked to review these products, I asked a lot of questions. I was hesitant because of my children. I wanted to know if these products were safe for my kids to be around. Being a mother, that was the first thing on my mind. *All products still say "to keep out of reach of children and seek medical advice if ingested or sprayed in eyes".

I was sent some Auto Dish Powder and Citrus Spray Cleaner. Both items were something I was looking forward to trying. Afterall, there are so many dishes to wash in a day and more than my share of surfaces to wipe down.

The Auto Dish Powder is in concentrated form, requiring only a tablespoon to clean a dishwasher load. I wasn't sure a tablespoon would do the trick, but after completing the first load of dishes, it seemed it did. The dishes cleaned as well as they had with my other detergent. I also added some plain white vinegar for a rinse aid, as suggested on the label.


The Citrus Spray Cleaner smells better than the other strong chemicals I keep under the sink. It's light and not overwhelming on the nose. I used it for any surface I thought of. Sink, counters, stove and table tops. The only downside to this cleaner, it wasn't too tough on grease. It cleaned all of my other surfaces very well.

EcostoreUSA is known for it's No Nasty Chemicals™. While EcostoreUSA products do contain chemicals, they try to avoid some of the harsher ones.

So what does No Nasty Chemicals™ mean?

"Our mission is to focus on individual health issues. Our ingredients are the principle factor in helping Ecostore achieve this goal. By eliminating hazardous toxins that are the basis of so many conventional cleaning products we not only help you but keep our planet in the best shape possible. Doing Good by Nature means taking the wonderful gifts that nature offers and developing plant based products that are safe, authentic and really work.

Would you like to learn more about what we consider "nasty chemicals?" and the truth about what "going green" really means."

Overall, I was pleased with the way the products worked. I was happy that I had something under the sink that was safe for the environment. Both products worked just as well as others I have tried in the past. Which means, why not use cleaning solutions that work AND are safe for our planet.

EcostoreUSA offers a wide variety of products including, Baby Care, Body Care, Pet Care, Hair and Household. There is something for everyone to try and make a little "green" mark of your own. You can read more about the EcostoreUSA, Follow them on Twitter and join their Facebook page. I'd also invite you to sign up for their No Nasty Chemicals™newsletter!

GIVEAWAY!

Leave me a comment telling me how you and your family "Go Green". You will be entered to win a $25.00 gift certificate to the Ecostore!

Entries will be accepted until Friday, October 16th! A winner will be chosen by random and announced on October 17th!

PhotoStory Friday - A Trip To The Farm

I really am a terrible blogger. It seems a post once a week is becoming the norm for me. It's not for lack of things to write about, no, I just have a few other things going on that occupy more time than I thought. I am going to bounce back, soon. I have two really cool reviews to get up and of course things to give away. That's always fun, right?

Alrighty then, on to the story.

Wednesday, the girls and I had a field trip to a farm with our PAT's group. They were so excited all week long for this trip. In fact, I was able to threaten them with NOT going when they were bad. The morning of, Izabel kept asking what we were gonna see. She was interested in seeing sheep and chickens.

We didn't see either of those animals, but plenty of beautiful Arabian horses drew their attention. Emily preferred to stay close to me, but she was all over the barn cats running through our path. They found a few grasshoppers, a tree frog, and sand to dig their shoes through. They picked gourds, brushed some horses, laughed at a playful Llama, (named Llama Bean), fed the horses carrots and watched an Arabian gallop in glory.

It was a fantastic morning!

For more PhotoStory Friday, Visit the Fantastic Cecily or Fabulous Lindsay!

You can also find tons more photos from this adventure over in FLICKR! Enjoy!