Fan Page!

Follow this link to my brand spankin' new fan page on Facebook! I will post giveaway links and discount codes there!

Giveaway Time!

Well hello! The beginning of the school year has kept me so busy that I seem to have been neglecting quite a few things, including this blog! So I'm back with a gift! Meet Stephanie, the designer behind Mulry Jewels. She is a young opera singer from New York, two facts that I find completely fascinating! She designs her jewelry to support her growing career, and just look at her talent!

This beauty reminds me of fall... wishful thinking as I prepare to do battle with another 115 degree day!

This is my favorite for it's simplicity and color.

Simple and cute!

Stephanie has generously offered one lucky recipient this adorable heart pendant in their choice of colors! Hip Hip Hooray!

To Enter:

Leave one comment per entry (up to 4 entries per person)

1. Visit her shop and tell me what your favorite item is.

2. Follow her blog and leave her some comment love.

3. Purchase something from her shop.

4. Follow this blog, or if you already do, just let me know :)

Good luck! The winner will be randomly drawn on Sunday, September 14th!

Family Fun On the Cheap

Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is our family's newest hobby. Although it takes an initial investment of a GPS unit, after that, it is FREE! We picked up a little hand-held Garmin GPS at Target on clearance for $75.00.
So what the heck is geocaching? Well, it's like an urban (or rugged, depending on your location and mood)treasure hunt. You go to the geocaching website and pick a "cache" to find. You are given coordinates to put into your GPS and sometimes are given a few hints, then you go to that location and either find a "treasure" box or some sort of container holding a log that you can sign proving that you found the cache. Below are pictures of one of the caches we found. It was in a neighborhood about 1/2 mile from our house, hidden in a box that looked like a small electrical box with a magnet on the back. It was stuck to the backside of a big electrical unit next to an alley.
The kids each took a small trinket (Goofball picked an little robot toy, and Sweetpea chose an eraser), and they left a marble and plastic ring as a trade. It is so much fun! We will go out for an hour or two after dinner before it gets dark. It is really family friendly, and we all have so much fun. Has anyone ever tried this, or even heard of it?

Haute Tot Giveaways!

My friend Kari over at Adam's Blankie is hosting a MONTH of giveaways on her blog. Not only is she my friend, but really talented as well. Go visit and score some awesome freebies!

Schooldays

Here is my sweet Goofball on his first day of Pre-K. For some reason, this picture shocked me because he just looks so much older than he did... yesterday! Maybe it's the backpack, maybe it's the spiky hair that he has been working so hard to perfect these last few weeks, I can't quite put my finger on it. I love how this boy thinks, and the logic that he comes up with. I said to him, "I can't believe you're starting Pre-K!" To which he replied, "I can't believe it and I can believe it. I'm in the middle."

World's Easiest Breakfast

Our family's most favorite breakfast is called Pancake French Toast. A few years ago my sister-in-law shared the recipe and it has become a tradition ever since. It's also the world's easiest recipe, so there just really isn't a good excuse anymore not to make a pretty breakfast on days other than a special occasion. It will take you about 15 minutes from start to finish, really.
Only three main ingredients too!
First, pre-heat oven to 475. Put a half a stick of butter in a glass baking dish (9x13) and put in oven to melt as the oven pre-heats, check on it after a few minutes so the butter doesn't burn. By the time the other ingredients are mixed, the oven should be almost done pre-heating. Mix or whisk together 3 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 3/4 cup flour. Tilt the dish so that the melted butter coats the bottom and a little bit of the sides of the dish. Pour the egg mixture in the dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 12-13 minutes! That's it! It comes out of the oven looking different every time. Sometimes it rises over the sides a little bit, other times it bubbles and folds like it did for us this morning.

Enjoy! We did! Goofball even ate all of the crumbs out of the dish. Quite the crowdpleaser!

Back to the Grind

So tomorrow I go back to school for Parent/Teacher meetings, and the first day of school is next week. New haircut, check. New glasses, check. First Day of School Outfit picked out, check. When I was a kid, I LOVED preparing for the first day of school. Giddiness ensued when I got to back to school shop (although I never did get one of those massive crayola boxes with the built in sharpener... still a little bitter). And guess what... even though I'm a teacher, I still love it! I'm so excited! Next week I begin my tenth year of teaching! How in the world can I be that old?!? I will also turn 31 next week, officially "in my thirties" now. Ouch.

So, I'm off to lesson plan.