Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander

Sam's Club Gift Card | Winner

2012-01-27T07:25:00.003-06:00

Thank you to all of those who entered the Sam's Club Gift Card giveaway, promoting Box Tops 4 Education! As promised, Random Dot Org chose a winner this morning!

Entry Number One!

Winner has 24hrs to claim her prize! Happy Friday!

An Afternoon Park Visit

2012-01-24T10:36:00.003-06:00

It was pretty chilly yesterday, but some clean, crisp, Winter air can actually do a world of good.

And The Littles had a blast! :)

First Snow Day of the Winter! | Jan 2012

2012-01-23T08:44:00.003-06:00

We've had a very mild Winter this year, and I'm not complaining one bit! :) It's been cold, but it's also been very warm. And there has been no snow! Well, no snow until January 18th, when we had about 2 inches fall.

Two inches and The Littles were OVER THE MOON! I mean it, they were thrilled! They bundled up in their new, never used snowsuits and boots and ventured out.

Izzy and Emmy couldn't wait. After all, they know what snow is and they had been asking for ages when it was going to snow. They made snow angels and dug through the light accumulation to find treasures lost. They begged to go sledding, but there just wasn't enough snow. However, they managed to use their snowsuits and slide down the backyard, which worked out really well. They got some speed too. LOL!

That leaves Alexander. He's seen snow. He's been in the snow. But he was only months old and bundled beyond belief. He most likely doesn't even remember it. So this year, as soon as he stepped foot outside, he SQUEALED! The girls were pretty excited, but nothing compared to the extreme awe and wonder of Alexander. =) He wanted to play forever. He loved every bit of it. I think the proof is in the photo.

Chirstmas | Part II | Better Late, Than Never! :-)

2012-01-20T13:48:00.002-06:00

Yeah, so it's almost the end of January and I am just now getting to the second stash of Christmas photos. Eh, it's okay! Enjoy!

Christmas Eve was spent with Grama and Papa and Uncle Doc. Presents anyone?

Then came Christmas Eve, before bed. :) All was quiet when Santa arrived.

Finally, Christmas Morning!

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday and I hope all of you did as well!

Sams Club | Box Tops For Education | Review and Giveaway

2012-01-19T08:41:00.007-06:00

Good Morning and Happy New Year! We are experiencing a very chilly morning today, but I managed to get Izzy bundled and to school. I won't complain too much about this chilly morning, as we have been having the most mild Winter I can ever remember. It's been great! In fact, I think we have a couple of 60 degree days coming next week. =)

So, here we are in January and Izzy has been in Kindergarten for 6 months! Some mornings I still can't believe my first born needs to get ready for school.

Izzy has been doing great and following great in the education system. She's integrated herself very well. Of course, those of you that have school age children know that as parents, we too must jump into the system and participate right along with our Littles.

One big thing that Izzy and our family began doing at the beginning of the school year, is collecting Box Tops. I even began changing brands that I buy, just so we could collect the Box Tops. haha!

Box Tops 4 Education, a program designed to assist in earning money for America's schools. A way for you, the parent and the child, to give back to your school and make it even better. And, we think it's fun!

There are so many brands that participate in Box Tops. Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Fiber One, Nestle Juicy Juice, tons of cereals such as Cheerios,Corn Chex and Lucky Charms. Hefty, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Totinos, Old El Paso, Land O Lakes, Yoplait, Nature Valley and Ziploc. JUST TO NAME A FEW! Box Tops are everywhere! =)

My Blog Spark and Sam's Club contacted me with some great news and gave me the opportunity to shop. And what a better way to collect Box Tops, IN BULK! Right now Sam's Club has some limited products that offer 6 BOX TOPS!

"At least 6 Bonus Box Tops will be located on your favorite return-to-school brands such as Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Yoplait and Progresso."

Every couple of weeks, Izzy's teacher sends home a collection sheet, with a seasonal design, for her to color. Each sheet is also a Box Tops entry form. Izzy colors the page and then glues as many as 10 Box Tops to the page to turn in for her school. Each Box Tops collection sheet accounts for $1.00, as each Box Top is worth 10 cents! Below is an example of the Winter sheet, but you can also find more HERE!

Collecting Box Tops 4 Education is a simple and fun way to help your child's school earn more money. I hope that you and your family collect for your school, every little bit helps! Be sure to visit your local Sam's Club and Walmart stores to find hundreds of products with the Box Tops. And remember, Sam's Club is offering some great (and yummy) products right now with at least 6 Box Tops!

So, now that you know all about the Box Tops 4 Education program, and the great deals Sam's Club is offering, how would you like to WIN a $25 gift card to Sam's Club to purchase products with Box Tops?!

To WIN a $25 Gift Card to Sam's Club, please do the following:

Leave a comment telling me whether or not you participate in Box Tops 4 Education AND your favorite General Mills product that offers Box Tops.

You must answer both questions in order to qualify for the giveaway. Giveaway starts today and will end January 26th. Winner will be announced on Friday the 27th!

“Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

Recipe | Homemade Fingerpaints!

2011-12-27T21:25:00.003-06:00

I've recently become involved (addicted) to Pinterest. I held off for as long as I could, and then one morning I woke up and decided to take the plunge. This was the first cool thing (among many) that I HAD to try!

Pinterest has taken me by storm!! I know all of those cool things are floating around the web in the first place, but to have them all in one place is sooo great! So, here is my first attempt at making homemade fingerpaints, and it worked pretty well. :)

What: Homemade Fingerpaints

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Water
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cup of Cornstrach

What You Will Need:
Small Saucepan
Wisk
6 Baby Food Jars with Lids
Your Choice of Liquid Food Coloring

Directions:
In a small saucepan, wisk the ingredients together over a low/medium heat , JUST UNTIL the "sauce" begins to thicken. As soon as it does, remove from heat and continue to stir for a few more minutes.
*The thicker the "sauce" becomes, the harder it is to paint with when cooled.

Let the sauce cool off a little bit and then poor into jars. Then add a few drops of food coloring to each jar, stir until the desired color is reached.
*I found that adding the food coloring before the "sauce" has fully cooled, works better.

Continue to let them cool a couple of hours before using.

Happy Finger Painting!!

Everything CHRISTMAS! | Lights, Cookies, Santa and MORE! | Part One

2011-12-27T09:04:00.002-06:00

Ah, Christmas! A wonderful time of the year. It seems we build up to Christmas all year long, only to have it over in minutes. haha! How about a quick recap?

Our tree, it went up after our company left in early December. It has survived Alexander, which is an accomplishment in itself. After having two girls who couldn't care less about the lights and shiny balls, Alexander's fascination with it all was overwhelming at times. haha! I can see why others put a baby gate up around it.

I tried, this year and last, to get to Santa with all three of The Littles. It just didn't work out that way this year. Alexander and Emily made it to see him, and Izzy went with her class. Izzy's photo was super cute and with a great Santa, but I haven't had the chance to scan it in. No one was afraid of Santa or cried, which I am always happy about. :)

I have always wanted to string my kids up, in lights. So this year I found some time to plug them in and let them have a go. It was fun and even Lucy took two seconds to pose for me.

The Littles decorated cookies.

Izabel had a Holiday Party at school, too. They decorated cookies, made some crafts and played some games. Daddy was able to be Room Dad this year while I stayed at home not feeling so well. They had a great time!

To Be Continued....

Wholesale Costume Club | White Snow Queen | Review

2011-12-18T10:40:00.007-06:00

Friday, I announced the Winner of the Crayola giveaway, #7, Stephanie. She was very excited to win and has already been in contact with me to receive her gift pack. Thanks to everyone who played!

Now, I have another great product to tell you about! I've used this company several times for purchasing the coolest, most trendy and adorable costumes!

Wholesale Costumes Club!

Wholesale Costume Club offers an amazing variety of costumes for every event that you can imagine. Right now, it's all about Christmas Costumes! They have some very affordable Santa suits, Elves, Angels, Nativity, Reindeer and some tempting Mrs. Claus outfits too. Something for everyone!

In addition to the holiday themed costumes they offer, Wholesale Costume Club also offers a wide range of your favorite Princesses, Fairies, Superheros and MORE!

My selection to review came in the form of the White Snow Queen. This lovely costume is one of my favorite pieces that we have ordered from the Wholesale Costume Club. It's elegant and playful! It has the softest material used for the sleeve gloves and the most detailed silver and beaded details on the bodice and sash on the dress.

The quality is quite nice, especially when the girls get it on and traipse through the house and outdoors. haha! I do want to add that adding a couple of pieces of extra velrco in the back might be beneficial in the future to keep it looking fabulous!

The White Snow Queen costume from Wholesale Costumes Cbub is sure to make any little girl feel like the prettiest princess in all of the North Pole! I know my Littles really enjoyed the swishing and movement of the gown and how they could twirl around in excitement!

Halloween is not just the season for costumes anymore. More often than not, we've been having themed birthday parties. When adding a costume to your event, it's always a notch in the right direction.

Now, you may be wondering about the cost of such amazing costume pieces. They are AFFORDABLE! And there is always an abundance of clearance and closeout costumes. The above mentioned White Snow Queen costume retails for $39.99. Through Wholesale Costume Club, it's a fantabulous $21.96!

The website is super simple to use, with navigation being a breeze! There are categories regarding every holiday, sorting by age and sex, and even a slew of accessories to enhance EVERY costume!

This sparkly, iridescent color wand would make a great accessory to the White Snow Queen costume. :)

So, the next time you are in the market for a costume, of any kind, for anyone, check out Wholesale Costume Club. You won't be disappointed!

Happy 4th Birthday, Emily Rose!

2011-12-12T19:20:00.002-06:00

My little Emmy turned four at the end of November, and last weekend we finally had her birthday celebration. We had family in and it was a perfect time to have a party.

We celebrated Seuss style, with Cat in the Hat!

Complete with Cat in the Hat marshmallow hats, Thing 1 and 2 cupcakes and One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish Jello cups!

Nanny made Emily a special Seuss Style birthday outfit, and it was amazing and oh so cute! Emily wore it for two days AFTER the party. lol!

I say it every time, in every birthday post for my Littles, but where has the time gone!? How in the heck did Emily get to be four years old? It really does seem like yesterday that she came into this world, screaming. haha!

And then the years came and went in a flash, and we loved every minute of it.

You are my little troublemaker, Emily! You push past limits I never thought I'd have to set. LOL! But you are a snuggle bug, a good sleeper and eater, and so very imaginative. You create the best stories, take good care of your babies and have the most hilarious laugh.

You are still a dinosaur maniac and can spit out dino names and facts in nanoseconds. It's your longest lasting obsession and I see no end in sight.

We love you Emily, and wish you the best in the coming year. Happy Birthday, Peanut! xxoo

Crayola Studio and Color Studio HD iMarker | Review and GIVEAWAY

2011-12-12T10:39:00.009-06:00

This holiday season, let Crayola bring the smiles to your children's faces! I know my Little's will light up with anything Crayola under the tree.

Remember getting the super special box of 64 crayons with the pencil sharpener in the box? Or the special edition box with a "new" color? Now, let Crayola add a new layer of excitement this year, with their Crayola Story Studio AND exciting new iPad apps with an imarker!

Crayola introduces the Story Studio this year, featuring Spider Man, Disney Princesses and Cars 2.
The perfect sets to allow your Littles to create an amazing story. Spider man was my favorite, using a comic book style to imagine yourself and Spiderman, working together for justice. :) The kit also contains binding strips to bind your creation into a book you can read over and over.

Each Story Studio includes enough materials and supplies to make THREE story's. Special markers, pens or twist crayons are included as well. These sets retail for about $9.99 each.

My favorite Crayola product this year has been the iMarker, which works in conjunction with the ColorStudio HD ipad App. My Little's love our (my! :) iPad and there are more games than adult apps on it. ColorStudio HD takes coloring to the next level though, and it's awesome! Not only is it a virtual coloring book, but it's convenient and there is NO MESS! No water, no magically appearing ink! The coloring pages come to life with animated scenes, sound effects and hidden surprises. It really is as cool as it sounds!

Kids can select from 64 colors in the digital Crayola 64 Box and then use the iMarker to create the look of Crayola crayons, markers, paints and colored pencils as the stylus interacts with an iPad. The digital coloring pages respond with movement and sound as the pages come alive as kids color.

Animated images stop moving on the screen so kids can easily color them in without going outside of the lines, so objects look picture perfect when they start moving again. Tidy up your page with an eraser function or an "undo" arrow that removes larger areas of color.

In addition, kids can save their work in a gallery to be emailed, printed or uploaded to Facebook (mom´s account, and with her permission and help of course!), and also free draw, play interactive games and create their own customized coloring pages they can print and color off-line.

These Crayola items are some of my favorite products that Crayola has created in the last year. The ease and fun of both the Studio Story's and the ColorStudio HD have brought lots of smiles and hours of fun to our kiddos.

So, do you want to win some for your very own Little? Here's your chance!

MyBlogSpark and Crayola gave me the opportunity to try out these amazing products AND they are offering one of my lovely readers the same package!
One of my blog readers will receive the following:

(1) Crayola Story Studio Comic Maker: Spiderman
(1) Crayola Story Studio Fairy Tale Maker: Disney Princesses
(1) Crayola Story Studio Adventure Maker: Disney/Pixar Cars
(1) Crayola iMarker to use with the ColorStudio HD app for iPad
(1) Free download of the ColorStudio HD app

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! This would make a fantastic gift under the tree!

*HERE'S HOW TO WIN*

Leave me a comment, telling me your favorite Crayola product! :)

Happy Commenting! Giveaway begins tonight and will end THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15th at Midnight! One winner will be chosen using random dot org and announced Friday morning. Winner will have 12 hours to respond or another will be chosen.

The Brainy Store | Glowberry Bears™ | Flashcar Friends™ | Review | Promo Code "jacks25" |

2011-11-22T17:47:00.009-06:00

It's Here! The craziest shopping season of the year, has begun! Let's face it, getting up at midnight to race in line before the stores open, is fun; sometimes. Wouldn't you rather stay home, snuggle in your nice warm PJ's, have a hot pot of coffee ready and shop online? Yeah, me too! So, let's get started!

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to The Brainy Store Company. It's a great company and they offer some of the neatest items for your Little's to play with! I'm hooked, honest! I really adore the fact that they develop toys that encourage the learning aspect of play.

Two new items have come to my attention and I'm excited to share them with you. First up, Glowberry Bears.

Glowberry Bears are snuggly, glowing, talking companions for your wee one. There is Summer Lightly and Twinkleton. Both bears have a tummy that lights up and they talk. Your child can talk to the bear (Bear to Child mode) OR both bears can talk to each other (Bear to Bear mode). They are made of a very soft plush and have cute little jammies. And their giggle is so cute and contagious! :-)

Next up, we have Flashcar Friends! These are one of my new favorite toys! Available in four different vehicles, Flashcar Friends are wooden toys that are made with built in flashcards. Fantastic, right?!

There is Aerial the Shapes & Colors Airplane, Sadie the ABC's School Bus, Flash the Animals Firetruck, and Rudy the 123's Recycling Truck. Each vehicle comes with 26 wooden cards that make up the body of the vehicle. As noted above, each vehicle also represents a different set of flashcards.

The flashcards stay put, too. And if your Little's are anything like mine, these wooden toys seem to be holding up quite well.

AND, if I haven't boasted enough about these great toys, both of these items are also ON SALE for a limited time! Head over and check out The Brainy Store or click one of the items links above and see for yourself. ;-)

Want More?!

Enter "jacks25" as your promo code and you will receive an ADDITIONAL 25% of your item!

Really, I don't think shopping from home, in my PJ's, drinking coffee AND finding a great deal, could get any better!

Christmas Parade 2011 | Santa Has Arrived

2011-11-21T18:24:00.003-06:00

While I really don't like the Christmas decorations coming out on November 1st, the parade is always a hit with The Littles. I mean, really, Santa arrives on a "rocket sleigh"!

Handsome has been sick, so he stayed home with Daddy. The girls and I donned our warmest threads and walked down to find a spot on the curb. The wind was fierce, but there was candy and that made it all worth it. haha!

All of the vehicles in the parade are covered in lights and sounds of the season. It's quite the shiny event.

Now, back to celebrating the Turkey! :-)

Wordless Wednesday | Happy 15 Months, Handsome

2011-11-09T08:12:00.002-06:00

Winner of The Brainy Company Giveaway, Stacy!
Thanks everyone for playing!

More Wordless Wednesday to explore!

October Summary | Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

2011-11-01T09:03:00.005-05:00

October was a busy month for all of us. Between work and events for The Littles, we were rushed to actually enjoy the first month of Fall.

The Pumpkin Patch was one of those rushed events. We still made the best of it and the kids had a good time. They fed the animals, saw the baby cow, played on the slides and ran through the corn maze in record time. :)

Then came Halloween! I was Room Mom for Izzy's class this year. It went very well and I loved the little craft we did. :) I think Izzy was glad that I was there and she really enjoyed being the "chosen one" to help me. :) The Littles were all very excited to Trick or Treat, even Alexander. They went for about 2.5 hours and scored a huge loot. The weather was actually very good this year too, maybe high fifties at dark, which made the experience good as well.

I failed to take very many photos of them in their costumes, again, so busy! lol!

We hope everyone had a great month and a very happy Halloween!

And yes, Even with The Handsome Husband not feeling well, he did dress his traditional Zombie. Daddy looked scary and hobbled around with us for a bit before calling it quits. :)

Now, on to the month of November, where the food is awesome and the turkey's gobble. :)

The Brainy Company | Review and Giveaway!

2011-10-30T14:02:00.004-05:00

Halloween is tomorrow! Which means Tuesday everyone starts Christmas shopping! hahaha!

How about a head start on some really nifty and exciting products from The Brainy Company?

Here's a tidbit about the company.

"For 15 years, The Brainy Company’s primary product line, Brainy Baby®, has been a pioneer and leader in educational videos for children, preschooler books, toddler learning games, flashcards for preschool and learning toys for infants. This award-winning line of kids learning tools introduces educational subjects such as: learn the abcs, shapes, animals, art, music and so much more. Brainy Baby® educational videos for children feature multiple ethnicities, inspiring original music, nursery rhymes and instrumental classics. Brainy Baby® has won over 75 national awards, including: Dr. Toy’s Top 100 Best Children’s Product, the Dove Foundation’s Seal of Approval, Parenting Magazine’s Top Videos of the Year and more.

As The Brainy Company continues to grow and expand, you can count on us to put your child's best interest first. The mission of The Brainy Company is about helping children develop a love of learning for a lifetime®.

Your child´s future is our inspiration.®"

The Littles had the opportunity to try out the 123s: Counting Collection set. The pack offers a DVD, Flash Cards and a Book to encourage your children to focus on the fun of numbers.
What I really liked about the bundle pack, was that all of the items were consistent, just different forms of visuals. Alexander (14 Months) liked watching the DVD and Emily (almost 4yrs) enjoyed the book. The book is great because it is a board book; hard and almost indestructible ! ha! It also has lots of bright colors and eye catching images, such as shiny pennies, sparkly snowflakes and other children's happy faces. :)

The Brainy Company also offers all kinds of other goodies. Memory Games, Puzzles, Music, and more! Even Language! You can also register your children in the Birthday Club for Promotional specials, new arrivals and more.

My Littles really enjoyed having fun with their numbers through this bundle pack and I bet yours will too. Would you like to WIN a bundle pack of your own?

ENTER TO WIN, please go to The Brainy Company website and tell me which product appeals to you or would appeal to your children. Then come back here and leave a comment with the product name. :)

ONE WINNER will be selected via Random.org. Entries begin today and will conclude on Friday, November 4th. Winner will be selected and announced Saturday morning. :)

Thanks goes to Selena over at the HighWater Group and The Briany Company. :)

Wordless Wednesday | 14 Months

2011-10-12T08:51:00.002-05:00

More Wordless Wednesday, HERE! Enjoy!

Once In September | Slacker Mommy

2011-10-03T09:03:00.003-05:00

Once. That is how many times I took photos of my children last month. And with the exception of a quick session, I don't believe I even touched my beloved Nikon more than twice in the entire month. Sad, but true.

So, in an attempt to keep with some kind of monthly photos of my Littles, I rushed them to the park on a half day of school and clicked away. :) They are all getting so big. :)

Emmy is just shy of her fourth birthday and Alexander is nearly a week away from 14 months. And Izzy, well, Izzy is my smart little Kindergartner who will be Six in just a few short months. Time is quickly passing and I almost let a whole month slip without photos. Shame.On.Me.

Enjoy their cuteness. :)

Littles Exploring The Park | Hot Days of August

2011-09-29T08:50:00.004-05:00

*Huge, Dead Turtle. Killed by a Hammerhead Shark, of course. :)

Kix Cereal | Kid Tested, Mother Approved | Review and Giveaway!

2011-09-12T13:26:00.003-05:00

It's been 4 weeks since my little princess started school. Kindergarten. It's quite amazing to see how well she transitioned. Izzy was so excited for school and 4 weeks later, continues to wake up super early and get ready to go. She was meant for school. :)

With school, came the early morning rise and making sure she ate breakfast. Izzy had to eat something before she left and she had a limited amount of time to do so.

Enter Cereal. Kix Cereal.

My children have a hit or miss love for cereal. Sometimes we go through it and sometimes it sits for quite awhile. However, one thing is true, the cereal we buy must all be the same. ha! Cereals with multiple colors, different shapes and added marshmallows are not common in our home. Those above mentioned factors cause chaos.

MyBlogSpark and General Mills gave us the opportunity to put Kix on the table. Who doesn't love Kix! They are sweet enough, all the same size and ALL the same color. :) A win-win all around. Having a great cereal on the table also gives Izzy the chance to be a big girl and make her own breakfast. I think she feels empowered when accomplishing something on her own, and making her own bowl of cereal, makes her day.

Kix was a big win with The Littles, even Alexander snacks on them.

Kid Tested, Kid Approved.
Would you like to try Kix with your family? MyBlogSpark and General Mills have teamed up and are offering one of my lucky readers, 6 Boxes of Kix! To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite morning cereal. :) Giveaway starts today and a winner will be chosen on Monday, September 19th! Hurry, enter today!

"Disclosure: Kix cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark."

Nintendo Wii and DS | Crazy Machines, Scotland Yard and Labyrinth | Review

2011-09-02T17:16:00.006-05:00

Well, I've been asked to review 3 video games from Mentor Interactive, and to my delight, they were all fun and overall pretty darn good! Thanks to my good friend S from the Highwater Group for allowing my family and I to review these games. :)

The first one I'll be reviewing is a puzzle game called Crazy Machines for the Nintendo® Wii. The concept is simple enough: solve the puzzle to advance. Sounds easy, right? What I didn't know was that the more the game went on, the more difficult it got, and the more I came to the realization that Crazy Machines is a game that makes you use your brain! Each level, or 'machine' gives you a set of components that must be used to complete the machine and make the ball go from start to finish. This game is a treat if you're up for a challenge, because while it's true that further along you go, the greater the challenge, it's also true that the further you advance, the more intricate the machines you need to complete! If you're a fan of brain-teasing puzzle games, or games you can just pick up and play, I recommend Crazy Machines highly!

The second game in my review is called Scotland Yard for the Nintendo® DS. This game was a blast for me, as it reminded me right away of the board game from my youth of the same name. You assume control of Mr. X, a criminal on the run from several detectives. The layout of the game is intuitive and easy to navigate. It's colored game pieces on a map of London, New York, Paris, etc, and as Mr. X you must escape the ever-persistent threat of being caught by the detectives that populate the map! If you can evade the Law for 24 moves, you win, but it's easier said than done as the detectives (whose numbers are adjustable to add to the challenge) try and anticipate your next move by setting up roadblocks and cutting off your escape! The game is a lot of fun and is much more challenging that you'd think. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

The last game I'll be reviewing is Labyrinth for the Nintendo® DS. You play as Alok, who's father was kidnapped by the evil Mr. Hoppert, giving you motivation to take a trip around the world, finding treasures along the way, in the hopes of being reunited with your dad! This game was a bit of a challenge for me. While the plot is easy enough to grasp, collecting those desirable treasures is much more difficult. Honestly, I still have yet to get very far. However, those of you who are intrigued by mazes and puzzles, this is the game for you. Your brain will constantly be in motion, trying to figure out your next move, and theirs.

Summer for us was full of games and movies, trips and excitement. These games kept things interesting all while using skills to better strengthen our minds. I do hope you'll have the chance to get out and play some of these. Enjoy!

Walmart Gift Card | Winner!

2011-08-21T09:48:00.004-05:00

Using Random.org, a winner has been selected for the Walmart Gift Card!

Mami2jcn, you are the winner! I will be sending you an email soon. You have 24 hours to get back to me, or another winner will be selected. Thanks for playing!

I have a few more reviews and giveaways coming this week. Be sure to watch for those. :)

Wordless Wednesday | A Year To Remember

2011-08-16T17:00:00.002-05:00

More Wordless Wednesday

I'm giving away a $25 Gift Card to Walmart, Enter Here!

Giveaway | Walmart and Box Tops 4 Education

2011-08-15T12:04:00.000-05:00

Now, as if my weeks haven't been crazy enough, my oldest has her first day of Kindergarten this week! I am definitely having a emotional filled couple of weeks. haha! In honor of Izzy starting school, I have a great giveaway to offer!

I am new to all of this school chaos. Things have changed soooo much since I was in school. Everything from the supplies to the attire to no more homemade goodies. One new thing that I have been learning about is Box Tops For Education.

Box Tops For Education is a way to earn cash for your child's school. Collecting Box Tops from some of your favorite foods is as easy as shopping at your local Walmart. Products like Nature Valley, Yoplait and Cheerios are just a few. Even items you use everyday help to support the Box Tops For Education; Hefty, Kleenex and Ziploc!

Participating in your child's education is an important role as a parent/guardian. Utilizing the Box Tops For Education program makes it easy to be a part of the difference in their school. So the next time you are out shopping at Walmart, be sure to look for the Box Tops For Education logo on participating products. Even if you don't have children in school yet, donating what you have to a local school will make a difference in a very special little one.

In honor of Izzy starting school and my giant step into the world of having a child in school, I'm offering a $25 Walmart Giftcard, provided to me by Walmart and General Mills along with MyBlogSpark!

Enter to win this great giveaway by leaving me a comment! In the comment, please tell me what your child's "must-have" item was for this school year! Izzy had only one request, a Coraline Lunchbox. :) I bought it and she was thrilled! :)

Giveaway starts now and will end on Friday, August 19th! I will announce a winner, via Random.org, on Saturday the 20th!

Disclosure: The information and $25 gift card to Walmart has been provided by Walmart and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Alexander Turns One | Happy Birthday, Handsome

2011-08-15T09:56:00.006-05:00

My darling baby boy turned one on the 9th, and on the 13th we had the best first birthday party ever! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, how in the heck is Alexander ONE?!

It was the first time we've really gone all out and had a house full of friends and family to celebrate a birthday. Of course, Alexander is the only child with a non-Winter birthday as well. haha! I decorated and planned things in detail. I made him a birthday shirt AND a birthday hat! It was a grand day full of grand guests celebrating a very awesome baby boy.

*Above images courtesy of John R. Thank you John!!! :)

Needless to say, it was a fantastic party!

Priceless Picnic Pics

2011-07-12T10:18:00.003-05:00

Handsome had his first taste of Watermelon and Snow Cones. The Snow Cone was a huge hit!

Dancing, Smores and more Snow Cones! Izzy loves to dance and had quite a few nifty moves!

A huge inflatable water slide that kept Emmy's attention for hours and hours!

Clowns making balloons, face painting, lots of treats and goodies and a very hot and sticky good time! This is what Summer is all about. =)

Be sure to check out my giveaway, ending this Friday! And on a final note, take a look at Handsome's dance floor moves. haha!

PSF | Hospitals, Carnivals, & Fireworks, Oh My!

2011-07-08T09:13:00.003-05:00

I miss blogging on a regular basis. I can remember a time when I made several posts in one day. Now I am lucky to get a couple up a month. I could say that I'll get better and make an effort, but then something happens and the blog has to be on the back burner. So bare with me as I try to catch up "the somethings" that have left me busy and absent.

Let's start with the fact that my whole family, myself included, have been ill for many weeks. I'm guessing it's about 3 weeks now. A nasty strain of the cold came our way and left one heck of a mess. It's Summertime and we've been hit by more germs than I think we had all of last Winter.

The colds started out simple enough; coughing, sneezing, runny nose. Then came the fevers and the vomiting. Then came the Asthma attacks. Then came the Viral Pneumonia. Our last stop was the hospital, where Alexander stayed for a week. And even after that, a follow up left 3 of us with double ear infections and ruptured ear drums.

Izzy's strain came and went fairly quickly. I'm guessing she picked it up from school and brought it home to share. :) A first for us, having to deal with the germs that come along with a child in school. Father's Day was the last day everyone felt well. So, we are almost at 4 weeks now. :)

Emmy and Alexander were hit the hardest. Both ran fevers up towards 105 and both of them had their Asthma triggered by whatever virus hit. I was able to keep Emmy home and under constant care, but she was quite miserable. She stopped eating and barely drank anything. Laying on the couch, in and out of sleep, was how she spent many, many days.

Alexander was another story. Being that he's only 10 months old, he had less of a fighting chance from the get go. He sent us to the ER twice, in distress and having a really hard time breathing. Finally, on our second trip, he was taken via ambulance. He was transported to our amazing Children's Hospital where he stayed for a week, fighting to keep enough oxygen circulating through. Alexander was a whole different kind of baby. He was lethargic and sad. He barely smiled, moved or had any inclination to play. He wanted to snuggle.

Since it was a Viral Pneumonia, there was little that could be done to actually fight the illness. We had to keep him comfortable and in stable condition. For days he had to stay on oxygen because he couldn't keep his 02 readings above 80.

I'll tell you, it was one of the worst moments in mine and Hubby's life. To have a child so sick and in the hospital, plus two other children who were ill and needed us, was a very hard place to be. It's something I wouldn't wish any parent would have to experience.

We are still dealing with a few of the aftershocks of those weeks, but we are all on the mend, thankfully. And I really hope that's the last time we have to go through that. :)

We did manage to enjoy the holiday. It was time that we headed out of the house and back into the real world. :) Grandma insisted we hit the Fourth of July carnival in a nearby city. The kids loved it! The girls rode every ride they could and Alexander has his first taste of Cotton Candy. :)

And that evening, the girls did their Fireworks. Bags and bags of sparklers lit a dark corner of our yard. I'd have to say that it was a nice way to end a rough couple of weeks and begin our Summer of fun. :)

This post is part of PhotoStory Friday this week!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Two posts in one day! Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY too! Enter to win!

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies | Review and Giveaway

2011-07-08T08:05:00.003-05:00

New Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies; My excuse for waking up in the morning and having a brownie for breakfast. haha!

Even without being asked to do this review, I was a huge fan of Fiber One products. I'm one of the guilty people who knows that her fiber intake is not up to par, but when I came across and tried Fiber One products, I was really delighted. My favorite are the granola bars, soo yummy!

Anywho, this time I'm here to enlighten you about brownies. Chocolate and Peanut Butter brownies!

Fiber One and General Mills, along with MyBlogSpark, provided me with a yummy prize pack to try out these new brownies. First off, they are a lot bigger in size than I would have thought. :) Secondly, they are soft! Thirdly, they are Chocolate and Peanut Butter! And finally, yes, Yummy!

"With new Fiber One 90-Calorie Brownies, you can have an unbelievably satisfying and wholesome treat in two delicious flavors. The Chocolate Fudge brownies are made with chocolate-flavored chips and topped with a dark chocolate-flavored drizzle, and the Chocolate Peanut Butter variety contains peanut butter chips topped with a peanut butter drizzle. " -MyBlogSpark/Fiber One/General Mills

Eating your share of fiber each day can be tough, but with the new Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies, it's a great tasting excuse. Even my Littles enjoyed them!

"With 5 grams of fiber, which is 20 percent of the Daily Value of Fiber, the new brownies are a smart snacking choice." -MyBlogSpark/Fiber One/General Mills

So, do you want to try some Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies? Of course you do! All you have to do is leave me a comment. Any old comment about anything. :) One winner will be chosen and the prize pack pictured above will be mailed to you.

Time starts now! I'll choose a winner next Friday, the 15th! Enjoy!

Gamers Bling | Calibur11 Vault For XBOX 360 Slim | Review

2011-06-17T12:20:00.005-05:00

Father's Day is Sunday. Just a couple of days away!

Every Father is different, but most men tend to like the same types of things. Power Tools, Lawn Care goodies, and anything Electronic. All safe bets in our family. :)

This year, I had the chance to Review a special sort of gift. How about some Bling for your Hubby's Xbox 360?

"This Father's Day, kill two birds with one stone! For less than $60, thrill Dad with a VAULT! It's a cool case that protects his system and enhances it's performance, while you get a design upgrade to you decor and a handy place for those blasted controllers!" -Highwatergroup

These cases are quite cool, even in my book! Out with the standard black or white systems, and in with all kinds of colors!

Calibur11 offers a huge variety of these Vaults! Some of my favorites:

The Nuclear Green!

The Exclusive DigiCamo!

While these Vaults offer some eye candy to your living room, they also offer the gamer some incentives. Each Vault offers increased airflow to the system and better console stability. These two things are quite important. You don't want the system to get too hot (which may cause the "three rings of death") and if you have Little's like us, you don't want Daddy's precious Xbox to get tipped over when your 3 year old runs across the living room chasing her sister. :)

"Calibur11's base Vaults are available for a suggested retail price of $59.95 and customized nameplates sell for a suggested retail price of $17.95. The MLG Vault is available for $89.99." -Highwatergroup

My Handsome Husband loved his! He found it very easy to assemble and really liked the extra stability to the console. The case also keeps the controller from being left around for a Handsome little 10 month old to drool on. :)

Happy Father's Day to all of you awesome Daddy's out there! And ladies, head over to Calibur11 and pick out YOUR favorite color. There is even a Vampire Red. :-)

Izabel | How can you be 5 years old? | In Review

2011-06-15T08:55:00.002-05:00

My dearest Izzy, who started the Summer Kindergarten program this month. What can I say, she loves school! She is having so much fun in class and loves both her classmates and her teacher. Not to mention, she's smart. Everyday Izzy comes home singing new songs, sounding out new words and reading. In just 2 weeks Izzy has learned to sound out so many words!

Izabel has P.E, Music, Art, Computer Lab and Library each week. Her folder comes home with new pieces of artwork everyday, which usually features the main character of the book they read that day. Daddy and I hear the story in her words and then she usually breaks into the song they learned. haha!

She's done really well at getting up (early) everyday, dressing herself and eating breakfast. Each day the kids are asked to wear a different color, which gives me reason to have all of her clothes picked out the night before. I knew Izzy would like school, but she has really excelled in the environment. She has made so many friends too! Dare I mention that only one girl comes up? The rest of her stories include boys. :)

When Izzy is not at school, she's drawing and talking a mile a minute. Seriously, she can talk nonstop for hours. LOL! Her and Daddy have been growing vegetables this Summer and planting flowers. We've been to the park numerous times already and swam in the pool too. She has so much energy! As seen in the first photo, Izabel likes to do Yoga with me as well. That's her showing off her Warrior Pose. :-)

I've said it a hundred times, but it still amazes me that she is five years old, attending school and turning into such a big girl. Where O' Where has the time gone?

Review | Costume Supercenter | Princess Snow White

2011-06-03T10:07:00.007-05:00

I am very lucky to have two very girly girls. I am also lucky to have two girls who love to get in and play in the mud. It's a win-win situation. :)

Both Izzy and Emmy love Princess things. I always wanted my girls to love the primping and the frilly dresses, and so far that's how it's been. When they were both old enough to start walking, we started acquiring the little Princess dresses and costumes. You know the ones. Gowns covered in glitter, feathery shoes and plastic earrings. The girls have used their collection very well.

As they've gotten older, and taller, the cute little Cinderella dresses aren't fitting so well anymore. They are tight in some spots and short in others. Most stores stop at around size 4T, which leaves my little Princesses without the proper royal attire.

I was given the chance to try out a Princess Costume from Costume Supercenter. We were very excited at this chance! It gave us the opportunity to find a special dress in the correct size.

Costume Supercenter has hundreds of great costumes; the perfect place to start your Halloween Costume shopping. Everything from Historical, Decades, Movies and MORE! The website is laid out very nicely and is easily navigated.

We chose to go with the Girls Snow White Costume. Izzy and Emmy have never had a Snow White Princess Dress, so they were very excited about this. And they had the correct size! And, to add to the fun, they also have every accessory you can imagine as an add on. Shoes, tiaras, wands and handbags.

The costume was shipped very quickly and arrived without incident. I had a great experience with them and it made me feel great to find what we've been looking for. So, find an excuse to dress up and have some fun with the Costume Supercenter.

Chillin' Out, Relaxin', Pickin' Flowers

2011-06-02T08:16:00.002-05:00

We took The Little's on a trip this past weekend. I had some work I was doing and it was a family event. So, we loaded everything up and headed to our destination, a mere 3 hours away.

Two hours into the trip and we had some major, smoking hot, car trouble. Needless to say, we sat in a parking lot for about five hours before we got help.

We finally made it to our hotel and then things got busy. All the girls wanted to do was swim in the pool and I wasn't so sure we were going to manage that with my schedule of work. But we did, and they loved it! Alexander had a blast splashing around and the girls jumped in over and over again.

Hopefully our remaining (even longer) roadtrips this Summer won't cause as much trouble as this short one did.

Random Sentences.

2011-05-25T14:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Anniversary! On May 16th, The Handsome Husband and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. We actually went on a little weekend trip. By ourselves. Without The Littles. We missed them like crazy and although it was nice (and quiet), I don't think we will be leaving them again. LOL!

Alexander is still as handsome as ever. And yes, "The Babe With The Power."

My Princesses are doing well too. Birthday parties and mini vacation trips have been keeping them busy. They haven't held still long enough for photos lately, but I'm hoping to cacth them later this weekend. :)

Leaps and Bounds | Little's Update

2011-05-10T13:08:00.004-05:00

So long between updates is frustrating me slightly. It's not an intentional oversight, however, we've been busy with this and that.

Children do not stop growing while I am busy though. LOL! So here's a little insight into what The Little's are up to.

Summer has officially arrived. The Heat Advisory tells me so as does the electric bill that will now have our A/C charges on it. The Little's have been spending every moment they can outside. I've never seen two girls more in love with Dandelions and Clover. Should you need your yard picked clean, they are your best option. :)

We had a very nice Mother's Day, spent at home playing games and eating wonderful food. I received a beautiful handmade book from Izzy, that she had drawn pictures of her and I. She's so very talented in the art department. :)

This time of year, The Little's have most of their Pedi and Dental check ups. Thus far, Izzy and Alexander have had all of theirs and Emmy will finish hers up in about 2 weeks. Everyone is healthy and happy and growing great! Izzy also had her cast taken off just after Easter and everything healed nicely. She's so happy to be out of her cast and back on the trampoline. :)

Izzy-63 Months, Alexander-9 Months, and Emmy-42 Months

Look at my cute little munchkins! I can hardly believe Izzy will start school in 2 weeks. A whole month of Summer School and then her first day of Kindergarten will arrive in early August. She's 5 years old. Where did the time go?

Emmy keeps me on my toes. We been working on numbers and letters and writing her name. She's coming around but doesn't take interest in "school" stuff like Izzy does. She'd rather play with her babies or watch Jurassic Park. Over, and over, and over. :) She had her preschool screening last week and didn't qualify. She passed with flying colors and even topped out in the 90th percentile.

Alexander is 9 months old now and had his check up on Monday. He's doing great and continues to be such a happy baby! He's scooting around wherever he wants to go and has started pulling up in his crib. He has soo much cute blond hair and EIGHT teeth! He had his first dental check up today and he was so good. No problems with his teeth and we expect more to come in soon.

Nine Month Measurements as Follows:
Head: 18.75 (97th%)
Length: 28.5 Inches (60th%)
Weight: 28lbs 4ozs (Way off the charts!)

With Summer finally here, we have lots of plans and exciting adventures ahead. I can't wait to share with you our travels. :) In the meantime, the pool is calling!

Happy Tuesday!

Hoppy Easter | April 2011

2011-04-28T10:46:00.002-05:00

Busy Busy! So much for getting back into a consistent routine of blog posts. Haha! Let's see, Easter Weekend. It was fun, and fairly decent weather. The girls were really excited and anxious to decorate eggs. We went bowling, spent time at the arcade, road the Easter Bunny train and stickered colored eggs.

We went to see the Easter Bunny, but waiting until the last day was not a good idea. With more than 150 people in line, we had to forgo the Bunny for the first time in 5 years. It was sad for me, especially since Alexander didn't get to sit with him on his first Easter. Next year, I will be more proactive. LOL!

Enjoy the photos and I hope you and yours had a great Easter Weekend!

Family Fotos At The Farm | Take One

2011-04-17T21:00:00.002-05:00

Spring May Have Sprung, Finally

2011-04-08T22:09:00.002-05:00

This isn't the next Milestones post that I have been promising to do. ;) It's nothing short of Random.

Spring has been touch and go for awhile now, but as I sit here the storms have come. It's lovely to hear the thunder, see the lightning and smell the rain. I always sleep better when the sky is falling. :)

So while the wind and rain tap at my windows and the house goes quiet for the evening, I'm going to enjoy the storms that have brought Spring. You can enjoy some of today's delightful captures from our venture out.

Rock Candy, for the first time. :)

Handsome, totally rockin' out with Elvis and some Rock Star shoes.

Spring and it's Sunset's

PhotoStory Friday | Purple Is Still In Style

2011-03-31T21:10:00.004-05:00

Izzy broke her left Tibia when she was two years old, on a slide at a public park.

(Wow, photos pre-DSLR. LOL!)

And then, almost 3 years to the day, Izabel sprained her ankle.
They gave her a very cool "moon boot" to keep it safe.

(It's amazing how processing changes a photo and what the light in a room can do. :)
March 15th, the day of the accident.

But, it still hurt a week later. And it still looked quite swollen. It turns out, she actually broke her ankle. Specifically, the growth plate in her Fibula.

March 28th, 2011, the day of casting.

Another cast, on a different leg, in the same color. :)

She has a matching pair now and I'm hoping it's the last.

Finally catching back up to Cecily this week at PhotoStory Friday! I've missed her and am so glad she's back. Go over and check her awesomeness! :)

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordless Wednesday | Playpen

2011-03-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

Captures by Alisha Jack is traveling!
Check to see if I'm coming to a city near you!

Wordless Wednesday | Pure Joy

2011-03-22T14:32:00.007-05:00

Captures by Alisha Jack is traveling!
Check to see if I'm coming to a city near you!

Captures by Alisha Jack | Traveling To A City Near You

2011-03-21T11:10:00.002-05:00

I am anxious to leave my home state and take a grand vacation. I need a new view, lots of sunshine and a million grains of sand. Some nice rolling waves wouldn't hurt as well. :)

We shall be hitting the road in August, making our way across the US to the cool and sandy shores of the Atlantic. Many of you have asked when I'll be in your area to shoot photos.

NOW is your chance! Let me come to you and experience your city and your family with a fresh set of eyes.

A few of the main stops will include: St. Louis, Missouri | Louisville, Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky | Charleston, West Virgina | Cumberland, Maryland | Frederick, Maryland | Baltimore Maryland | Newark, Delaware | New Jersey Beaches (TBA) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Washington, DC |

If you are in or near one of these main cities and would like to book a photo session, contact me now to get your name on the list! Space, and time, are limited. Some restrictions will apply.

Contact me for more details! =)

capturesbyaj at yahoo dot com

Growing | Guesses?

2011-03-20T22:06:00.001-05:00

In Between

2011-03-19T23:19:00.001-05:00

Growing Up | Milestones (Part 1)

2011-03-18T21:22:00.004-05:00

I am a bit behind in monthly, and yearly, updates. Yet, it isn't the only thing I'm behind on doing. The Winter months, while low key and freezing, always seem to pass by out of order. I think it's the lack of daylight and sunshine. So, while I am slightly out of order, here's an official update on the Royal Littles.

Alexander, now 7 months old, is growing by leaps and bounds. And chub. haha! He received the second dose of his Flu Vaccine today and I slipped him on the scale for good measure. He weighed in at 25 pounds and 12 ounces. He's been wearing 12 month clothing since he was 5 months old, and has almost outgrown them.

He's a happy little guy though. He loves to be tickled and he laughs the most precious laugh. He's been sitting for over a month now and is really reaching out around his bounds without toppling over. He's yet to actually roll. He can get on his side, but that's where he stops and grabs whatever is available.

He's also loving his food. Almost 2 months on solids now and so far, no adverse reaction to anything. *Except a contact rash around his mouth from Avocado. Alexander loves Peas and Sweet Potatoes, but really doesn't enjoy Green Beans and Apples.

It's amazing how fast the time has gone since Alexander was born. Super fast! I still feel like he should be itty bitty and tucked in my arms. Even so, he loves to snuggle with his Mommy and turns to hear my voice in any direction. A Mommy's boy, no doubt. =)

Alexander is fidgeting with his sleep schedule, or still trying to find one at the very least. I wish we could find one, but I think he just doesn't want to. lol! Sleep is over0rated anyhow and he's quite easy to put back to sleep, even every 2 hours.

Let's see, Alexander is clapping and starting to show more interest in signing. We've started with a few; milk, more, drink and thank you. So far, "more" is the only sign I think he's catching on to. haha!

Handsome Alexander. He. A Boy. After two girls, I still cannot get use to the switch in pronouns. :)

Happy 7 Months (and 9 days) Alexander!

I ♥ Faces | Sun Flare

2011-03-14T11:00:00.003-05:00

This week over at I ♥ Faces, the theme is Sun Flare. I LOVE, LOVE Sun Flare and purposely try to capture it every chance I can. This is one of two favorites I have. And while Izzy's face is in a profile view, you can still see the awe in her face from watching the sky. Her cute little nose, chubby cheeks and squinty eyes.

Please be sure to check out all of the other fabulous entries!

Wordless Wednesday | Dense Fog

2011-03-09T00:01:00.002-06:00

Wordful Wednesday at SevenClownCircus and more Wordless Wednesday too.

Be sure to check out my Yoplait Giveaway! =)

Random Cuteness | The Littles

2011-03-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

We have been quite busy around here lately, doing whatever it is that keeps us busy. LOL! Mother Nature has been playing with the weather more than ever. I'm wondering what's got her in such an uproar or if she's just plain old and bitter. Snow and Ice one day and then 75 the next. Crazy!

The Littles have been soaking up every second they can when we let them outside to play. They want the sun and the grass and to jump on that new shiny black circle out in the backyard. Yep, a trampoline for Christmas and we finally just got it up this last weekend. They've really enjoyed it and beg every day to go back to it. haha! :)

Alexander is 7 months old. SEVEN MONTHS! Seriously, I think I may have blacked out for more than half of those months because I cannot seem to find out where the time has gone. He's doing great, too! Sitting, jabbering, eating like a champ and more social than ever.

Emmy continues to be as ornery as ever. She is cute though, so we decided to keep her. LOL! =) Emmy keeps me busy, to say the least. Dinosaurs continue to rule her train of thought as well. There is not a day that goes by that she doesn't sit down and watch a Discovery Documentary on Dinos. You should hear her rattle off the names, too. It's kind of impressive, if I may so say myself. :)

Izzy is preparing for Kindergarten. Of course, preparing early. She has her first interview with the school next weekend and she's already bouncing off the walls excited. We drove by the school the other day and she was pretty impressed. I mean, it's red brick and all. haha! It's going to be harder than I thought, sending her to school. I know she's going to be great though. She's a very smart little girl. Izzy's been really working on her math and spelling this Winter and I am amazed at how well she does.

In general, everyone is doing well. I need Spring to arrive very soon though, or we may just go crazy. :) I want pastel flowers, blue skies and green grass.

Yoplait Giveaway!

2011-03-07T21:51:00.005-06:00

It's that time again my friends! Another fabulous offer from Yoplait and MyBlogSpark!

"Yoplait Kids has an excellent source of both calcium and vitamin D, a good source of protein and the delicious taste kids demand. It also contains 25% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt, and has no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Yoplait Kids yogurt is a snack you can feel confident about serving to your kids!"

Look at the very cool prize pack I have to offer! The Littles were very excited to try out the new spoons. :)

Snacking is a big thing around our home. Recently, we had to adjust the way we were eating. There were many small changes that we needed to make as well as The Littles. One of the things I worked on were the snacks. Fruit and Veggies have now become a very big part of every meal, and to help make things more interesting, I started offering Yoplait Yogurt as a dipping sauce. Yes, even for Veggies! It's been a pretty big hit around here. With the variety of flavors offered, you can make up some pretty interesting concoctions for dipping. :0)

I have ONE Prize Pack to offer to one of my lucky readers. Here's how to enter!
*Thank you Yoplait and MyBlogSpark for providing the prize pack!

Leave me a comment with a funky suggestion on how you might use yogurt as a snack.

I'll let this giveaway run until Friday, March 11th, 2011. I choose a winner using random.org.

Good Luck and thanks for playing!

Oh, and how about a photo of The Littles for good measure?

Alexander's First Tooth

2011-02-21T10:10:00.003-06:00

Six Months and Two Days (02/11/2011), we have our first tooth.

We also have a sitting baby boy.

And his first time to the park.

Happy 5th Birthday, Izabel Grace

2011-02-06T20:48:00.002-06:00

A "Whole Hand" Old.

More Birthday goodness coming later. :)

Sunday Citar | Untitled

2011-01-22T21:43:00.002-06:00

"Kindness is like snow- it beautifies everything it covers." -William Blake

Wordless Wednesday | Expressions by Emmy

2011-01-18T21:23:00.002-06:00

Visit Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom to view many more fantabulous photos!

I ♥ Faces | Winter Wonderland

2011-01-16T22:17:00.002-06:00

The theme over at I♥Faces this week is "Winter Wonderland". I chose this photo of Alexander, enjoying his first snow.

It's been very cold and snowy for a few days now and when we finally got him all bundled and out the door, he was in awe. There weren't any lavish smiles or echos of giggles, only a gasp as the cold air hit his chubby cheeks. I sat him in a rocking chair and he took it all in. Every bit of sky and land he could see was soaked up into his tiny blue eyes. His mouth was open, almost as if he couldn't believe the beauty before him.

The snow was still coming down and he sat and he watched it all. Not even the laughter from his sisters tore his eyes from the White, Winter Wonderland.

Boutique Hats | Yoplait Winner | Cuteness!

2011-01-15T22:54:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a few hats from one of my most favorite bloggers, Our Lives- In A Nutshell. Not too long ago, she opened up a boutique on Etsy. However, I absolutely loved her craftiness way before she became famous. =)

Well, I couldn't restrain myself any longer and I had to have these cute little, hand crafted, knitted winter hats. I knew exactly what I was going to do with them and how I wanted them to look; I just needed her to create such masterpieces for me. I can't knit. (Or crochet, or needle point or anything along the lines of a needle and thread.)

And she did.

And they are fantabulous.

And warm. And cute. And oh so perfect for my Littles.

See! :)

My Littles love them and have worn them every chance we have reason to step out into the winter chill. Aren't they awesome!?

If you are interested in purchasing a special hat for one of your own Littles, check out her Etsy shop, Blue Yodey Boutique, and drool over her fabulousness.

And once you get there, you will never leave. I promise! Lindsay is a fantastic, crafty-minded artist and you will be drooling over the cute little baby shoes, name hooks, coffee koozies and so much cute baby apparel! She pretty much customizes your dreams. =)

Check her store out on Facebook, as she always uploads so many photos of all of her work.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Blue-Yodey-Boutique/107011875999248

And finally, The Winner of the Yoplait Giveaway....
Random.org chose Number FIVE

Barb at Sassy and Ginger Chronicles

Barb, email me to claim your prize! crackerjacks51603 @ Yahoo dot com

Stay tuned for another fabulous giveaway from a very cool company. I'll give you a hint; Feet!

**This "review" and bragging about Blue Yodey Boutique is on my own accord. I'm sharing what I love! :)
***Photoshop templates provided by Florabella.

PhotoStory Friday | Playing (In Photoshop)

2011-01-13T14:56:00.011-06:00

I've never really sat down and learned the ins and outs of Photoshop, even though I own Creative Suite. It's my goal this year, to be better at. To know it. To use it. So, here's my first real attempt at utilizing the program. =) Enjoy!

And just for fun, a FUN snow day photo!

Hosted by Lolli and Cecily

~~Until I can find out where Cecily went, I'll put up a linky to join in. =)~~ I found Cecily! =) She will be back soon. Can't wait! Until then, Lolli at Better in Bulk is hosting. Hop over and find more PSF Links.

Wordless Wednesday | Alexander's First Snow

2011-01-11T22:00:00.004-06:00

Stop over at Wordless Wednesday or 5 Minutes for Mom to view many more fantabulous photos. =)

Random Stream Of Thoughts | Snow Day Photos

2011-01-11T11:59:00.002-06:00

I finally changed the header to reflect the season. I really, REALLY liked my Fall header. A lot. But I try to change it up and go with the temperature. Which is freezing this week.

The whole family ventured out yesterday to play in the freshly fallen 6+ inches of snow. It was fun and I think we even lasted close to 30 minutes. It was still falling when we went in.

Izzy was trying to make a snow angel,
but somebody decided to sift snow over her head instead.

I have missed blogging. A lot. I am so glad to have been able to focus on it again. I have missed all of my friends and your daily chatter. =)

I've also missed my favorite meme's. But as you can see, I am slowly coming back to them.

Emmy, trying to taste the smallest of flakes falling from a Grey sky.

Alexander hasn't been sleeping well. For almost a week. I hope he does better soon. I even tried co-sleeping with him one night. That was a nightmare. He and I both agreed, we didn't like that. haha!

All three of our Littles, stopping momentarily so that I could capture a Winter Wonderland of a header. It was cold and colder when you stopped moving. LOL! Maybe today we can try again.

Izabel and I will be celebrating our birthdays soon. She's really excited and we've been working on the plans for her party. It's really hard to believe Izzy's going to be Five.Years.Old!

Fiber One Yogurt Review | Giveaway

2011-01-10T23:50:00.000-06:00

My Blog Spark and Fiber One teamed up again to present me with a great prize pack and the opportunity to try Yoplait's Blueberry Fiber One.

What can I say, yogurt is a very tasty snack! It's the New Year and many of us are trying to eat better and make 2011 a great year. Yoplait's Fiber One is a great go-to snack. It's creamy and sweet and a great source of Calcium and Vitamins A and D.

The girls love yogurt as well! Every chance they get to go to the store with me, they are picking out yogurt. =) They also love to use their yogurt cones to make frozen treats.

We were very pleased with the Fiber One yogurt and would recommend it to you. You can even go and print a coupon right over here. :) It's a $1.00 off a 4 pack.

"With 50 calories, 5 grams of fiber and 0 grams of fat, Yoplait Fiber One Blueberry yogurt is a perfect solution, packed with real fruit and the great taste of blueberries that you’ll love."

My Blog Spark and Fiber One have generously offered an additional prize pack (see photo above) to one of my lucky readers! Want to win? Leave a comment. That's it! Introduce yourself, leave a link, say hello; any comment will do. Remember to include an email addy where you can be reached if you win.

Starts January 11th and ends January 15th. Winner will be chosen via Random.org.
*This coupon offer for Yoplait Fiber One Blueberry yogurt is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

I ♥ Faces | Smile

2011-01-09T23:42:00.002-06:00

The theme over at I ♥ Faces this week is Smile!
Alexander has some of the sweetest smiles around. I just love our little Handsome.

Macro Monday | A Summer Stroll

2011-01-09T21:14:00.005-06:00

In the heat of the September sun, we took a trail walk. Even our tiny little Alexander came along, as it was only a couple of weeks after he was born. While stopping to snap some photos, My Handsome Hubby came across this little guy, and snapped away. Needless to say, I can't take credit for this photo, but I very much enjoy it. =)

Feel free to hop on over to Lisa's Chaos to find more fabulous Macro's. =)

Sunday Citar | Five Months

2011-01-08T23:03:00.003-06:00

“Sweet babe, in thy face Soft desires I can trace, Secret joys and secret smiles, Little pretty infant wiles.” -William Blake

PLEASE Vote for Izzy 'N Emmy!

2011-01-07T12:10:00.002-06:00

The girls had a photo submitted to a magazine for publishing in their February issue. We need your votes to win! If you have a moment, please stop by and vote? You can vote ONCE PER DAY!
Voting will end January 13th, 2011.

Thanks so much!! The direct link is below.

http://kcparent.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?p=V&c=25302&s=6367145&i=1#SD

The Begining and The End, In Review

2011-01-03T21:29:00.003-06:00

It's Twenty Eleven. Wow!

Remember Y2K? hahaha!

Three, okay pretty much Four, days into the New Year and I am finally posting. Our New Year started off in pretty much the same fashion that 2010 ended in. It was kind of chaotic, in a good way and a bad way. All I know is that I want 2011 to be a fantastic year! A year for the record books. :)

So, because I haven't touched (literally) my camera in 9 days, how about a look back at 2010?
Stick with me now, lots of pics and not so many words. =)

January- We saw our little Gummy Bear, Alexander, for the first time. (Jan 13th and Jan 25th)

February- Izzy celebrated her 4th Birthday. And we had a huge Snow Day!

March- Emmy's first dental appointment and a very warm day in the Winter for a walk.

April- Flying kites over Easter and a Spring Carnival.

May- 25 Weeks pregnant, some stormy-day family photos, feeding the ducks and Emmy's dental surgery.

June- Fun.In.The.Sun!

July- Fun in the water, hot days and some sisterly love.

August- Alexander is born, our family grows to five and my heart expands.

September- A growing Handsome, days at the park, a trip to the zoo, long trail walks, flower picking, lake splashing, and adding a tiny puppy to our family. A busy month! =)

October- Homecoming parade, warm days in the park, kidlet photos at sunset, several pumpkin patch visits and Halloween.

November- A visit to a dairy farm, Emmy's 3rd Birthday, Dinosaur Exhibit at Union Station, and lots of Dress Up.

December- The Mineral Water Bowl, Science City, a big hair cut and finally, Christmas.

And that, my friends, was a busy but beautiful year.

Happy New Year, to you and yours!!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T23:41:00.002-06:00

Many, many more photos can be found over in the FLICKR account. Enjoy!

Santa and Holiday Bokeh

2010-12-22T10:10:00.002-06:00

A look back on the Santa's we've seen. Izzy's first year to visit Santa was with my favorite Man In Red. I saw that Santa when I was a little girl.

(Click Image To Enlarge)

This year, we saw a fantastic Santa, who came to visit us during Playgroup. He was amazing and every detail you can imagine was not left out in the kiddo's visit. The girls went to him with no problems at all and knew exactly what they were going to ask for.

Emily requested a Rapunzel doll.

Izabel requested a Pony. Yes, really, a Pony!! :)

Alexander was as casual as could be and didn't mind sitting with Santa either. He asked Santa to bring Mommy some sleep. Or so I heard. lol!

He was a great Santa! Doesn't he just look like the Santa you have always imagined? Eyebrows and all. :)

Next up, some Holiday Bokeh.

Because even when things seem out of focus, they are still magical.

We are all ready for Christmas here. Everything is bought, wrapped, stuffed and mailed. Our Christmas chain indicates 4 more sleeps until Christmas and our cards are strung along a string on the wall. I'll be baking a little more for some after dinner goodies, but other than that, The Handsome Husband and I are super excited for Saturday morning.

Raspberries

2010-12-19T20:47:00.001-06:00

Stream Of Randomness

2010-12-13T12:51:00.002-06:00

We've been a little busy, so here is a quick update on what we've been up to. Enjoy!

I had the chance to photograph the 45th annual Mineral Water Bowl again this year. It was awesome, as it was last year, but so much colder this year. It took two days before I could feel my fingers and toes.

Emmy had her 3 year check up and Alexander had his 4 month check up. Emmy is 36.5 inches tall and 37 pounds. She's doing great and right on track with where she needs to be. We are still working on writing her name, but she knows her letters and numbers pretty well.

Alexander weighed in at 17 pounds, 10 ounces and his 24 inches long. He's a growing boy! He can sit pretty well and he's really holding his neck and head very well. Well enough and hungry enough, that we were given the okay to start cereal. He's only interested in about one tablespoon a day, but we aren't rushing him. He's smiling and talking all the time now.

This last weekend, we took the kids to Union Station and Science City. We had a lot of fun before the snowstorm blew through. haha! The girls really enjoyed the hands on aspect of the place and all of the trees and model trains that were on exhibit. Emmy had her fair share of dino interaction and Izzy really loved playing in the underground city tunnels.

And that my friends, has been keeping us busy. Well, that and the snowfall we had Saturday. We've still not left the house since. lol! It's been very cold here and so windy. The girls did go out and play in the snow for a bit with Daddy yesterday. However, myself, my camera and Alexander, stayed nestled up warm in front of the tv. :)

11 More sleeps until Christmas!

Emily Rose, Happy 3rd Birthday

2010-11-29T14:40:00.004-06:00

It really can't have been 3 years since this little Princess came into our world. But the photos don't lie, and neither does her birth record.

Today, Emmy is the most vivacious 3 year old I know. haha! She's strong willed, clever, silly and very adamant that she gets her way. She's three, but most wouldn't have guessed. She acts much older and thus is treated older. It was only a few weeks ago that I myself had to remember she was only two.

Emmy was my easiest child. She was textbook easy. She continues to eat like a champ and sleeps more than 12 hours. She even gets a 2 hour or more nap in most days. Even as an infant, she had very few quirks about her. Emily was just that simple.

And then Emmy turned two. haha! This last year has proven, more than ever, that even if she was easy as a baby, she's going to make up for it in the coming years. Emmy is smart. Too smart for her own good. Nothing gets by my Princess. haha!

Emily loves to do school work, write and color, play games and build with blocks. She's fascinated with Dinosaurs and wants you to tickle and chase her. She really enjoys playdough and cooking as well. Her most imaginative play always comes across when she's tending to a baby of hers and is constantly wrapping the doll up in a blanket.

While she insists that she "can't do it" most days, she can dress herself from head to toe. She hates to have her hair brushed but likes having piggies too. Her favorite foods are any kind of noodle, hot dogs, sausage and cheese.

She has the most infectious laugh and the most sincere (and sometimes devilish) smile. When she's happy, the world is spinning as it should. Emily LOVES to sing and listen to music. She can even navigate YouTube on her own.

Three years ago today, a Thursday, I went back into the O.R. and couldn't wait to tell Izzy about her new little sister. As it turns out, I don't think Emmy could wait either. While most days the girls disagree about everything, they hate being apart. Izzy and Emmy were meant to have each other and I am so thankful they do.

So, Happy Birthday my sweet Emmy. May the coming year bring new adventures, lots of smiles and less time-out. LOL! We love you bunches!!

Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree...

2010-11-28T18:47:00.002-06:00

Four weeks of chaos to endure. LOL!!

Dinosaurs Unearthed

2010-11-26T21:26:00.003-06:00

Emmy received tickets to see the Dinosaur Unearthered at Union Station for her birthday, from Grama and Papa, and today seemed like a great day to go. After-all, we skipped Black Friday Shopping this year.

Waking early enough to get everyone dressed and out the door, we grabbed breakfast and headed out to the attraction. Uncle Doc stayed with us while he was in town and ventured to the exhibit with us.

It was quite a neat experience, but way less was seen than I would have expected. I thought it would have been much bigger, with more animatronic dinos and fossilized bones. There was enough to be seen though and it ended up being just long enough for the girl's attention span. Someone must have thought of that in the first place. haha!

We saw all kinds of wonderful scenes and learned a few facts here and there. There were buttons to push, scaley skin to feel and an abundance of roars. Emmy was a little hesitant through most of the exhibit. I think the roaring, paired with the huge moving heads full of teeth, had her a little spooked.

All in all, a great time and pretty cool exhibit. And we didn't hit a crowd, which is always a plus when traveling with three small children. One Handsome Little Prince slept the entire time.

Mine and the girls favorite, the Triceratops.

Although, Emmy was quite smitten with the T-Rex.

A Mommy and Baby Stegosaurus.

There were lots of dino's with fur, but I didn't catch their names.

And this little guy, although quite ferocious in his day, was the cutest little Pterodactyl ever! =)

There are plenty more photos over in the Flickr account. Wander over and take a look. Enjoy!

Emmy's 3rd Birthday Party, A "Roaring" Good Time

2010-11-21T10:18:00.002-06:00

Although Emmy doesn't officially turn three until the 29th, we celebrated her birthday yesterday. We had a house full of children and lots of fabulous toys. We couldn't have asked for a better bunch of people to celebrate with.

Dinosaur was the theme, per Emmy's request. We had dino's galore! Daddy and I spent pretty much the whole day making special cookies and designing our own fondant dinosaurs. They were a hit!

Today, if the weather holds out, I'll be taking Emmy out to get some fabulous 3rd birthday photos taken. Three! When did my little girl grow up so fast?!

Enjoy some photos from her party! =)

Less Stress In The Season (A CSN Stores Review)

2010-11-16T10:41:00.005-06:00

Ah, the holidays are upon us, or so it seems by the look of the store front windows and street lamps. That means shopping, and lots of it.

And what a better way to shop, than online, in the comfort of your pj's.

I was recently asked to review some products and services from CSN Stores. I was more than happy to get started, and in no time, I was lost in the awesomeness of their site.

More than 200 stores are right at your fingertips and each offers something for everyone. Furniture, Housewares, Toys and MORE. Lots more! And the best part of it all, the Sales! Sales upon sales and free shipping on select items. There are reviews too so that you can make an informed decision on your merchandise.

CSN Stores offers such a variety of goodies. I found that I needed some new cookware. I've had my set since before I was married. It's been well loved. haha! So, I began my search for the perfect new pans to add to my kitchen. And guess what, I found them!

Emerilware Frying Pans. *drooling*

I was so excited to be able to find them and the experience in the process of purchasing was excellent! It couldn't have gone any smoother. I simply selected what I wanted, added it to my cart, paid for it and it was on my doorstep in less than 3 days! 3 Days! And I did not pay to have them shipped any faster. =)

Everything down to the way the items were packed was flawless.

So, are you done with your holiday shopping yet? Do you need ideas? I am more than happy to suggest CSN Stores as your one (and only) stop shopping.

Make your shopping season a little less stressful, with CSN Stores.com

Happy 3 Months, Alexander Henrik!

2010-11-09T12:04:00.002-06:00

My handsome little guy is 3 months old today, and he's as awesome as day one! We are loving this little man so much! Here are a couple of videos of his new found laugh. He is soo happy and smiley.

Halloween, In Review

2010-11-01T22:49:00.005-05:00

If I hadn't already been drinking Red Bull multiple times a day for about the last month, I'd say I was on a sugar high. But I'm guessing it's the Red Bull.

Halloween came and went in a huge splendor and lots of chocolate. Seriously, for the first time, I think the girls received only a handful of non-chocolate items in the 3 bags they filled on Sunday evening. Of course, when has that much chocolate ever been a bad thing?

So, off to the events for the week. *Excuse some of the photo quality. I kind of laid back the lens this year and enjoyed the goblins and ghouls along with the hubby and kiddos. =)

First event, Playgroup Halloween Party. Izzy went as Sleeping Beauty and Emmy as a Fairy. Alexander sported his new 1st Halloween Onsie and awesome football Babylegs from his Auntie. Lots of goodies!

Next up, Our little town's Halloween Festivities on the 29th. Izzy went as a Lion and Emmy as a Caterpillar. Alexander went as a Pumpkin and Daddy was a Zombie.

Then on Saturday, we all dressed in our best black and orange and toured a dairy farm. More on that in another post. We played in the leaves when we got home and Alexander loved being outside.

Finally, Halloween came. Izzy was the Caterpillar this time, Emmy the Lion and Alexander was a Garden Gnome. Daddy was a Zombie again and that's Grandma as a Clown.

Can you say C-A-N-D-Y?

Thanksgiving is 24 days away and Christmas is around the corner in 53 days. hahaha!

PhotoStory Friday | Outtakes

2010-10-28T16:24:00.004-05:00

...Because sometimes, the outtakes are the best part of the project...

On a recent little shoot with our kiddos, I discovered several things.

One, I'll never shoot in JPEG again. A few years ago, I tried shooting in NEF-RAW and I never really got the hang of it. For so many reasons, I do now and I LOVE it.

Two, sunsets really are the golden hours of light.

Three, I have really adorable children. =)

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordless Wednesday | Light and Beauty

2010-10-20T08:15:00.001-05:00

Exciting News!

2010-10-19T10:40:00.005-05:00

Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander have gone DOT COM! After piddling around for months this year, I have finally transitioned this blog. This makes me very happy!

Please, if you are a follower, have bookmarked us or read our blog via feeds, change the URL. This way you can continue to keep up with our family. The new URL is as follows: http://www.crackerjacksonline.com

I mean, you wouldn't want to miss new and exciting things going on in our world, now would you? haha! Especially when it involves such cuteness, like this.

Some things will take time to transition over, including some of my widgets. Please bare with me as these changes happen and hopefully we will be up and running, bug free, very soon.

Sunday Citar | Carefree Princess

2010-10-17T09:01:00.002-05:00

"Happiness is never stopping to think if you are." -Palmer Sondreal

Alexander Henrik | 2 Months (and 6 Days)

2010-10-15T14:28:00.002-05:00

My Prince, Alexander, turned 2 months old on the 9th of October. Two.Whole.Months! It can't possibly have been that long already. Although, it does feel as if he has always been a part of our family.

At 2 months old, Alexander loves to snuggle. He wants to be held all day, close to your heart. If he's not curled up on my chest, he's curled up on his stomach or side with a blanket swaddled all around him, leaving only his face uncovered. He also loves to be worn in our Moby wrap.

Alexander is cooing and making noises, holding his toys and shaking them about. He's focusing better on things brought in front of him too. He knows (and loves!) my voice. He will turn his head just to find me. My Prince also has no qualms about his sisters bugging him constantly through the day and does not mind in the least bit if they are loud and running through the house while he naps.

Such a good, sweet, little Prince. We couldn't have asked for a better baby boy. Alexander did have his 2 month check up on Wednesday. All seems to be going well and he's on par for his age. There was some concerns last month during an appt that Alexander may have some heart issues. Of course we worried all month until they could get him in and rechecked. It seems, as of now, those issues have resolved themselves and were no longer a concern to our Pedi. Thank goodness. :)

So, current measurements? Here we goooo!

Weight | 12 Pounds | 60th Percentile
Length | 21 Inches | 3rd Percentile
Head Circumference | 15.5 Inches | 25th Percentile

We love you bunches Handsome; forever and always. xxoo

PhotoStory Friday | My Little Pumpkins

2010-10-14T22:56:00.003-05:00

Where Oh Where Have I Been? I cannot even remember the last time I participated in PSF. It's been too long, so tonight I've decided to jump right back in. And what a better way to start, then to show you just how much my "pumpkins" have grown over the last year.

A family tradition we began when Izabel was born. We have gone every year, no matter the weather, and have had the children stand by the sign. It's an absolute blast and one of the best pumpkin patches around.

Izabel, 2006-2010

Emily, 2008-2010

And while my handsome Prince, Alexander, is not able to stand by his sign, we managed to size him up with the pumpkins.

It feels good to be back. Happy Friday everyone!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Random Stream of Conscience

2010-10-10T21:02:00.003-05:00

I have several blog posts that I need to get up, but I'm lacking in the "Time Dept". It's as if with Summer's end, my days actually get longer.

We went to the Pumpkin Patch last week and had a blast. We went on Family Day, so admission was free, which was fantastic. I would have thought it would have been super packed, but we were practically the only ones there.

Alexander is quickly making milestones left and right. He's holding his head up really well, laughing, cooing and staying awake much longer than he ever has. He's 2 months old and I can hardly believe that.

Izabel and Emily are anxiously awaiting Halloween, although neither of them have kept with the same choice of costume for more than a couple of days. No matter what they pick, a few days after I buy it, they will say they "really" wanted to be the other Thing.Person.Animal.Can Opener.

I had a Tupperware Party today. The first party I've had in my home. It was kind of scary having people in my home because I'm not used to it. It was nice and the friends and family that did show up, made for great company. I got lots of goodies and will have my kitchen organized in no time.

There's a review down there below this post. Have you seen it yet? It's a Fancy Nancy Contest. It's cool, go check it out and enter to win.

After years and years of cooking in my favorite pots and pans from my Handsome Husband, I need new ones. Badly. They are falling apart and it's making cooking less appealing. I also need a new wing-back chair. I love mine and it's my favorite piece of furniture I have ever owned. But it, too, is quite unappealing these days. I need a new one, or else I'd really like to own an ottoman coffee table. I could knock out two pieces of furniture with one. I haven't owned a coffee table since Izzy was born. Once she went mobile, it became a hazard. haha! Now seems like a good time to upgrade the pots and pans and get one of these snazzy ottoman coffee tables.

I'm loving the smells of Fall. My house is breathing with scents of Pumpkin Spice and Apples. It's delicious.

I have new assistant who just started working with me a few weeks back. She's fantabulous and makes my photo shoots so much more organized.

And that, my friends, is all I can muster for the evening. I'm beyond tired these days and can only hope that once I hit Publish, the kids don't wake up. lol!

P.S...No photos in this post!? What's wrong with me?! Here, have a look at this beauty. All three of my babies. Aren't they adorable?

It's A Fancy Nancy Contest!

2010-10-08T19:09:00.003-05:00

The Fanciest Little Girl in the World Stars in Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DS™ Systems

As stated in THQ's Press Release:

"Explore, play and party with Fancy Nancy: Tea Party Time!, as Nancy helps her favorite neighbor Mrs. DeVine prepare a marvelous tea party. As Nancy, players will stroll through Fancy Nancy’s world, collecting hidden tea sets, stickers and decorative items that they must eventually bring to the party. As they encounter obstacles, players choose one of six different ensembles, each of which grants Nancy a different special ability to use when collecting colorful beads (or fancies), or to unlock bonus materials. Letters that spell out Nancy’s favorite fancy words are also scattered throughout the game for players to discover and use to solve puzzles. Players will be able to take pictures of themselves or their friends using the DSi camera function and create fancy stickers to post in the Sticker Album, or insert their photos into the game and become a guest at Mrs. DeVine’s tea party."

I have the opportunity to offer ONE of my readers this awesome gift basket full of Fancy Nancy goodies! This basket is filled with non-stop fun and "fancy" prizes. A Fancy Nancy Puzzle Game, Tiara and Boa, Tea Party Set, the Fancy Nancy game from THQ and a few other little trinkets.

Here's how to play. Yep, to win this prize pack, you'll have to play along. =-)

This game consists of FIVE trivia questions. If you answer all five trivia questions correctly, you will be entered for a chance to win the Fancy Nancy prize basket.

Please send your five answers to my email directly, do not leave them as a comment or you entry will not count. Email answers to: crackerjacks51603 at yahoo dot com

Trivia Questions:

1. What is Fancy Nancy's last name?
2. What is Fancy Nancy's favorite color?
3. Who are the creators of Fancy Nancy?
4. Who is Nancy's best friend?
5. What helps Fancy Nancy play soccer better?

*The Fine Print*
Contest is open to US Residents only. Contestants who submit 5 correct answers will then be pooled together; one winner will be randomly selected. I'll be pulling from a hat most likely. :) Contest is open from now until Midnight, October 15th, 2010.

...because he's so handsome...and so perfect...

2010-09-30T19:27:00.003-05:00

Ten little fingers, Ten tiny toes, The sweetest of smiles, And a cute little nose. All these add up to a very special thing, a baby. The greatest of gifts that life can bring.

Fall Festival, With A Side Of Smiles

2010-09-28T10:02:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to update the blog for the last week and yet something creeps up and forces me to put a post on the back burner. The same goes for blog hopping, I've not been a good follower. I'm working on it though and I hope to be visiting you soon.

In the meantime, we've been enjoying the Fall temps. Can you believe it's been so cool? It seems when September began, so did Fall. The days have been just warm enough and the nights really chilly. We've been in the 40's at night and it looks as though the 30's are coming soon. I'm enjoying the chilly breezes because soon enough, those 30 degree temps will bring snow and ice.

So, last weekend, even though a bit chilly and 3 littles had coughs, we ventured out to the Fall Festival and Carnival. I was in dire need of a Funnel Cake. Seriously! haha!

Daddy took the girls through the House of Illusions Fun House, which turned out to be kinda scary for the girls and only about a 2 minute walk through. Daddy said it was basically dark hallways with a few flashing lights. Hmm, wonder what the Illusion was suppose to be for $10? haha! We then let the girls ride the carousel. Who doesn't love a good Merry-Go-Round?

After that, we decided to play some Carnival games. We chose one and knew Daddy would walk away a winner. Two dings for Daddy; Two prizes for the Princesses.

Alexander traveled in style, as usual, and slept the entire time; as usual. LOL! He's such a handsome little guy and has really starting growing. The little hat he's wearing in this photo was a favorite of mine and I can't believe it fits his little head.

This morning, Alexander was nothing but smiles and giggles.

And that my friends, is how we are spending our Fall days. Be sure to check out the Flickr! page for more photos. Enjoy!

Doggie Days

2010-09-21T20:44:00.004-05:00

Can you believe it's been 6 weeks since The Prince was born? Wow!! The days are quickly passing, and we are enjoying every bit. Alexander is doing really well and is in fact snuggled right next to me. He's growing all of a sudden and has the cutest little chub starting to appear. And he smiles! A lot! His face lights up, his mouth opens wide and he smiles. He's amazing! Here, watch for yourself.

The Princesses are enjoying the cooler temps and the last bits of Summer that they can. It's the arrival of Fall tmrw and I think they are just as excited. They've been talking about Halloween for weeks now and I think they have decided what to be. Oh, you know I won't tell until the day of. LOL!

Lucy is fitting quite well into our family. She's playful when the girls want her to be and quietly resting in a corner when she's done. Wow, and what a snuggler Lucy is. It's nice having a little lap dog, but she's quickly becoming spoiled. In a good way I think.

Goodnight Summer, and Good Morning Fall!

Intorducing Lucy

2010-09-19T14:00:00.004-05:00

I didn't blog about our loss in August. As you can imagine, our life was busy finishing up house projects and preparing for our son to be born. Just days before I delivered Alexander, our dog of 13 years, Tron, passed away. It was a very hard week and watching our family companion leave us, and never meet Alexander, was heart wrenching.

We had Tron since he was a pup. A pup who was found in a box in a parking lot, answering to the name Chubs. LOL! He was a mix of all sorts; a mutt if you will. Tron was a good dog who loved to play football, loved our kids and kept a watchful eye over our home. He was smart and made friends with the crabbiest of cats. He is greatly missed.

In an attempt to simplify our lives and to pay respect to our loving Tron, Hubby and I decided that we would be a dog-less family. The girls did well with the passing of their doggy, but they still had so many questions. One being, "Can we have another puppy?"

We've been a little lost without our Tron and Hubby and I still talk of him everyday and how much we miss him. Last week, we unknowingly made the decision that maybe, just maybe, we'd like to have another pup.

It took only a week or so to find our new fur-baby. A small, indoor pup who could grow up with our children. Meet Lucy.

Lucy is a Miniature Dachshund, weighing less than Alexander. LOL! She's just celebrated her 6 month birthday. Lucy is very sweet, a cuddlebug in the fullest, gentle with all of the kids, well-behaved and an all around great dog for our family.

While we still miss Tron very much, I am glad we have found another fur-baby to grow with our children.

Movie Stars

2010-09-15T13:32:00.003-05:00

I've finally uploaded some new video content of the munchkins. Enjoy and remember you can view more of the 100+ videos over on our YouTube page.

Summer's End

2010-09-11T23:55:00.004-05:00

Ah yes, it appears that by then end of next week, our Summer will officially have come to an end. The temperatures are dropping and the chilly nights of Fall are creeping in. The smell of the air is changing, the leaves are slowly falling and I'm finally wearing jeans.

Today we ventured out to the lake to take some photos, do a little trail walking and explore what's left of the flowers and creatures roaming the greens. I had a lot of fun and really am proud of some of the shots we got. It was a very nice day to be out and about and the girls LOVE to explore out in the "wilderness". I can't wait until Alexander can get out and not have his only photo be taken while snoozing in his carrier. LOL! Enjoy and remember, TONS more photos over in FLICKR!

Alexander Henrik, 1 Month

2010-09-10T09:34:00.003-05:00

My darling Prince is one month old! How in the world did that happen? It really does seem like yesterday. At 8 pounds, Alexander is growing into himself and adding a little chub. He's cooing and making lots of little sounds lately and really tries to hold his head up a lot. He's such a snuggler and loves to sleep on his tummy.

Alexander is doing better with his reflux meds and has adjusted to his new formula very well. Thankfully, all of his allergies have been tended to and we are enjoying the many smiles he throws for his Daddy, who can get Alexander to smile every time.

Happy 1 Month my Handsome Prince. xxoo

More photos over in FLICKR! :)

Crazy Day At The Zoo

2010-09-09T10:57:00.002-05:00

On Labor Day, we took the kiddos to the Kansas City Zoo. It was a very nice day with a grand breeze and we hadn't had a chance to visit all Summer. Well, we had chances, but my pregnant self was too whiny to walk around in the heat. LOL!

So, we ventured out on Monday. And folks, I'll never go to the zoo on a holiday again! haha! There were so many people it was ridiculous! In fact, it was so crowded that walking was almost impossible as well as getting up close to see any of the attractions. But, we stayed and we enjoyed what we could.

The Princesses visiting the Tropical exhibit, where we did encounter Zoboo! :)

Alexander was quite content the whole day with only a few fuss's when hungry.

The girls fed deer and jumped, hopped and skipped as often as they could.

We saw Kangaroos and Elephants, Monkeys and Tortises.

Nikita the Polar Bear was the biggest attraction and very neat! He is 3.5 years old and weighs 700 pounds. He's new to our Zoo and loves a crowd! He learned to do this backflip off the glass on his own and did it over and over until the faces of the children melted away. The girls loved him.

Meerkats and Seal Lions too!

And so much more! It was a very long day, but well worth the adventure!

Feel free to wonder over to our Flickr page to view all of the photos from the day, including more action shots of Nikita flipping his heart away for the crowd.

Pocket Prince

2010-09-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

I'm creating posts out of order again, but I had to get these adorable photos up quick! lol! These were taken this evening while Alexander was hanging out with his Daddy. Precious!

Coming up tmrw, photos from our trip to the Zoo on Labor Day.

Frozen Winner and Park Royalty

2010-09-05T17:09:00.005-05:00

The Winner of the Yoplait Whips! Giveaway is, Number 9 via Random.org, Jamie's Barefoot Photography! Thank you to everyone who participated!!

Jamie, Please send me an email (crackerjacks51603@yahoo.com) with your name, addy and phone number. Thanks!

And now some fun-loving photos of our day at the park. The days, and nights, have been fabulous. We couldn't pass up a chance at the park on a day like Saturday. :)

Our beautiful little Princesses. I have a hard time believing how much they have grown over his Summer. New things come about everyday and it's so exciting!

Our little Handsome Prince is doing well and had a great night in fact. Maybe nice days at the park have their advantages? Even for a 3 week old? LOL!

Even though Summer has come to an end here in our neck of the woods, Fall is our season of choice. We have so many things planned in the coming weeks and I look forward to sharing it all with you.

It Finally Happened!

2010-09-03T21:53:00.002-05:00

It took 3 weeks and 4 days, but I finally captured Alexander's smiles on camera. Adorable little smiles too!

My Handsome Little Guy is doing pretty good. I had him at the Pedi yesterday and he has gained a whole pound since birth. He now comes in at a whopping 8 pounds and 5 ounces. LOL!

The Princesses are still more than enjoying the addition to our little family and simply can't keep their hands off of him. :)

Get Your Frozen On!

2010-08-30T17:06:00.003-05:00

Partnering up with MyBlogSpark has brought so many wonderful and yummy opportunities my way this Summer. Recently, Yoplait gave me another great chance to review more of their fantastic product.

The girls have really started diving into yogurt, primarily because of all of the cool commercials these days. Every time we are in the store, they want yogurt of some kind. And since I gave birth to Alexander 3 weeks ago, yogurt has been my staple of surviving my lack of hunger.

You have all heard my stories before, here with the Greek, the Yoplait Kids, and the YoPlus. If you haven't guessed, we are fans of Yoplait and all they have to offer. This time, we were given the chance to try Yoplait Whips. I always go for the Original, Daddy goes for the Whips and the girls gravitate toward the Light for their funky flavors.

Yoplait Whips! yogurt is currently available in nine delectable flavors - Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Raspberry, Key Lime Pie, Lemon Burst, Orange Créme, Peaches `N Cream, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mist, and Vanilla Créme.

This time we got to have a little bit more fun though, and here's how. After spending more than enough time picking out flavors, we rushed home and made these!!!

*Note, the popsicle mold does contain 4 cone molds. One was being eaten at the time of this photo! LOL!!

I know!! Are they not the coolest popsicles you've ever seen? Yoplait and MyBlogSpark sent this mold in my prize pack to use with Yoplait yogurts. Frozen Yogurt Fun!!!

Updated: To use the molds, you simply pour your favorite flavor of yogurt in the clear "ice cream" part of the mold, snap the cone handle on and pop in the freezer. When the yogurt is frozen (about 4 hours), you remove the entire mold from the blue tray, and gently remove the clear top, using the cone part as the handle. Then enjoy!

Want to win your very own popsicle mold, a VIP coupon for a free sample of Yoplait Whips! and a canvas cooler bag?? Here's how:

Drop by and say HI!! Leave me a comment saying hello. I've been so busy and quiet in the blogging world. Let me know your still here. LOL!

To gain a second entry, leave an additional comment telling me what flavor of Yoplait Whips! you'd like to try.

This giveaway will run thru Friday September 3rd. I will use Random.org to choose a winner Saturday morning.

Random Cuteness of My Handsome

2010-08-30T10:26:00.002-05:00

Enjoy some photos of our handsome little guy, but come back later for a very "cool" giveaway! You won't want to miss this one! =)

Ready For Some Football!

2010-08-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

Attempting family photos was a real treat today. LOL! It seems there was always one person who wasn't prepared. I think we made out with a few good shots though, but we will try again in a few weeks as well.

Alexander will be 2 weeks old tmrw! There's no way that should be possible, but alas, time continues to fly by. Good thoughts and special vibes would be appreciated for tmrw as Alexander has a doc appointment. Fingers crossed that he's gained some weight. :)

In the meantime, enjoy these super special newborn shots of our handsome little man, already making his Daddy proud by sporting the green of a true Jets fan. :)

My Adorable Little Alexander

2010-08-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

While things haven't been chaotic, like I anticipated with three littles, things have still been slightly busier than usual. The girls have adjusted very well to having a little brother. There has not been any aggression or jealousy to speak of and they are more than willing to help with Alexander.

Alexander is also adjusting fairly well. We've run into the same issues with him as we did with the girls. Before we even left the hospital, he was diagnosed with a Protein Allergy. Simply put, he's allergic to anything dairy. A new formula was introduced and he seems to be tolerating it well. In addition to the Protein Allergy, reflux has been an issue. Alexander began taking Zantac and he's improved significantly with that. Almost no spit up at all.

Both the Protein Allergy and the reflux are familiar ground for us. The one thing that is not, is weight loss. Alexander has yet to gain any weight, and in fact, continues to lose weight. I am well aware of weight loss for the first few days after birth, but Alexander dropped from his birth weight and has yet to gain anything back. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, he will start to gain. If not, the Pedi has some plan to put into action, but I didn't even ask what it was yet. haha!

I am recovering pretty well. It seems this C-section was a little bit easier than the rest, but as the days go by I am a little bit more sore than the day before. I hope this too resolves itself and I can cough and mop the floors. LOL!

Thanks to each and every one of you for the emails and calls, letters and gifts. We are so excited to be a family of five and are enjoying every bit of it. *hugs*

Cute Little Baby Legs

2010-08-14T20:42:00.001-05:00

Welcome To The World Handsome

2010-08-13T23:18:00.002-05:00

Alexander Henrik, Born August 09, 2010 at 2:29pm

7 Pounds, 3 Ounces and 18.75 Inches Long

All is well in our world and I hope to have more photos and updates in the coming days.

36 Hours To Go

2010-08-07T22:59:00.002-05:00

I am counting down the hours now before my Handsome Husband and I are in the hospital and ready to deliver our third child, Alexander Henrik. I had PST on Friday and have been cleared for surgery on Monday.

It's finally here! I am excited and nervous. It seems like I have been counting down forever, yet I feel like I need more time to prepare.

The girls are very excited and have been using a chain to count down the sleeps until Alexander arrives. I wonder what their reaction will be when they really do get to take home a baby that was really in Mommy's tummy? haha!

Thank you all for you kind words and support. I'll update as soon as I return home with as many adorable photos as I can manage.

5 More Sleeps And...

2010-08-04T22:08:00.001-05:00

...this little Princess will no longer be the baby in the house. Emmy will be a big sister.