« August 2007 | Main | October 2007 »
Monday: Baked Chicken Parmesan with Green Bean Casserole
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Order Pizza
Saturday: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner
Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!
(I found this at Skittles' Place)
Do you like to donate your clothes or other items that you no longer use? Do you recycle? I know that I could definitely do a better job with both of these things. I hate that so many things in our country end up going to waste.
PlanetAid is a non-profit organization which helps to improve the lives of those living in developing countries. Relief aid and protecting the environment are just two of its major objectives. There are lots of ways that we can contribute as individuals. PlanetAid has over 7,000 clothes collection and recycling boxes in these major metropolitan areas. They also gather and deliver surplus resources in the US to be used in Africa and Asia. We can all help to make a difference in our world!
Appetizer
How are you today? I'm in a good mood. When I let my dog in the backyard he found a surprise waiting for him. His "frenemy" (the neighbor's cute black and white cat) was teasing him by pawing the big green leaves of the banana plants. He'll never catch her. :)
Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis. The Office, Two and a Half Men, E.R.
Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced? I was a kid during Hurricane Alicia (which hit the Galveston/Houston area in 1983). We had roof and fence damage, and it broke several windows.
Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be? There's no place else I'd rather live outside of the US...but I wouldn't mind waking up in Cancun, Mexico.
Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep? I'm Mama Pajama!
When we went to Cancun a few years ago, we brought an international prepaid phone card with us. However, figuring out how to get through to the US was harder than we thought it would be. Plus, there were hidden fees that we didn't know about. We kept calling the front desk until we finally figured it all out. I wish we had known about Pingo back then. With PingoMobile, we could have used our cell phone! PingoMobile can save you up to 90% on international calls from your cell phone (even if you have an international cell phone plan). They also work with any phone carrier.
Pingo offers no hassle international calling cards at amazing rates! There are no hidden fees. Pingo’s RateWatcher will save you from the hassle of needing to search through other phone card offers, trying to find the best deal. You'll know you have received the best price on an international phone card.
Here's a bonus: if you sign up for Pingo, you will get up to five hours of free international calls just for signing up! You'll also be able to buy a $25 phone card for just $17. In addition, the special phone card blog discount coupon "ppp3" is valid for $3 off Pingo. If you choose to refer a friend , you will both benefit. Pingo's calling card affiliate program pays $15 for each new customer you refer.
You can trust Pingo! They deliver 1.1 billion international phone card minutes a month. Check out their website to see just how easy making international phone calls can be!
October is almost here, and it's still so hot! I've seen so many beautiful pictures of "fall scenes" on other blogs lately....and I'm a bit jealous. I could really use a brisk walk on a cool night. But instead, I'm sweating in the humidity covered in mosquito repellant every night. I shouldn't complain, I know. I'm not asking for snow. I would just love to be able to take out the trash without breaking a sweat. Spring and Fall each last only a few short weeks here. Come on Fall. Then it's wet cold - or back to wet hot. I hate the humidity!
I've met lots of really cool people over the past few months through my blog. I really enjoy exchanging my opinions with others. I never realized I could get paid to blog. What an easy and fun way to earn money from home! I almost feel guilty getting paid to do something I would be doing anyway. Since working outside of the home would be very difficult for me right now, paid blogging is the perfect solution for our family!
With so many bloggers out there, companies really want to advertise on blogs. Smorty is a service that connects advertisers with bloggers. As a blogger, you get paid by advertisers to write your opinions about the products and/or services that the company provides. All you have to do is link back to the advertiser's site! You will get paid at least six dollars for every opinion post. I especially like the fact that I have 72 hours to submit my post after accepting an assignment. Also, Smorty will notify you by e-mail you when new opportunities become available. All you have to do is log in, and decide if you want to accept the offer or not! It's all up to you. Blog advertising is everywhere, so you might as well join in! If you are interested in getting paid to blog, you should definitely check out Smorty.
The Last Thirteen Books I've Read:
1. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
2. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
3. Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
4. No Goodbyes by Elain Kagan
5. Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter
6. I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
7. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
8. Cider House Rules by John Irving
9. It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong
10. Evening by Susan Minot
11. The Doctor's Wife by Elizabeth Brundage
12. Baby 411 by Denise Fields and Ari Brown
13. What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway, and Arlene Eisenberg
There are so many search engines out there. I usually use Google, but I've probably used them all at one time or another. I just learned about Sproose. With Sproose, you can vote for your favorite websites. This will influence the index ranking of the search results. You can also share your voted site history with other folks that share your interests. What's cool about Sproose, is that no amount of money will get a company's site higher on the results list. Only sites that are reviewed by users can move up on the list! You can click here to try sproose!
My husband has a new obsession. Generators. He has two....and he plays with them a lot (running them, checking them, admiring them). During Hurricane Rita, Cameron was only about six months old. We drove EAST, yes EAST....to get away from the storm, which apparently followed our car into Louisiana. Luckily, my husband's relatives had a generator, because they did lose power for about a day. If we had stayed home we would have missed the storm, but when you aren't sure where a hurricane is headed, you have to make big decisions in a hurry. Sometimes we wonder why we choose to live in a place that could be hit by a hurricane, but we do enjoy living on the coast. Plus, there aren't too many places that aren't prone to some sort of natural disaster!
Are you a recovering music geek? I'm afraid I might be. You can take the girl out the marching band, but you can't take the marching band out of the girl. I have my old clarinet hidden in a closet so that my husband might forget about his idea to pawn it....OK, so I haven't played it in twelve years...that doesn't mean I don't want it!!!
If you want to find music supplies for CHEAP, check out goingTODAY.com. They offer one item everyday for sale until it's sold out. Most of the items up for sale are "geared for the musician geek." It's a great site for finding true bargains. If you don't need the item currently up for sale, just wait until midnight Eastern Standard Time. You never know what you might find! All you need is a paypal account and a love for all that is cheap...
This week, the theme is pet(s) or pet peeves. Well, I just did a post about Buster, our Westie. And this gives me an excuse to write another one! Don't you just hate people that go on and on about their pets like they are people (hahaha - a pet peeve). Don't worry, that's the last joke of the day for me. 
To read more about Buster and his latest adventure with BFTC, click here. I wish I had noticed the topic for this week or I would have waited to share that story. Now someone might actually read it (haha).
Head on over to Skittles' Place to participate in the Heads or Tails Meme and join in the fun. You can even join the blogroll! Weekly topics are listed on her site.
You may have noticed that I've started doing sponsored posts for PayPerPost. I can't believe I'm going to get paid to blog ! I just started blogging back in June, so I'm still learning about all of this stuff. Blogging has been a great way for me to meet lots of really cool people that share similar interests as me. I've noticed that many of the blogs I visit write sponsored posts for PayPerPost. I decided to look into it, and I am so glad that I did!
For the past two years, I've been looking for something I can do from home to earn extra cash. I was considering tutoring children out of my home, or even doing on-line tutoring. But, the problem for me is the time constraints. My son gets therapy at home, and the times vary. I need something that I can work on at my own convenience. What's really cool about PayPerPost, is that I can do this at any time of the day. I can "work" (if you want to call it that) when my son is asleep or when my husband is home. And best of all, I don't have to leave the house! All I have to do is look for opportunities that are relevant to my blog, and write about them! I can't believe that I'm going to be able to earn extra money by doing something so simple. Since I love blogging anyway, PayPerPost is a win/win opportunity for me! (I am going to start a family vacation fund with the money I earn!)
When Cameron was born, we became really obsessive about germs. I had been an elementary school teacher right up until he was born, so this was a big change from that environment. We had to be extremely cautious about touching his head after his shunt surgery (done when he was only about three pounds). He was also highly succeptible to meningitis, colds, and the flu. We spent 70 days in the NICU making sure that every single person with whom he came into contact knew how important it was to wash his or her hands!
Well, we managed to keep him free of illness for almost two years. We just never brought him into stores, the malls, etc. We were really lucky that all of his initial therapy was given at our home. My husband did (and still does) most of the shopping and running errands, so that I don't have to bring him around many crowds. And then when we are at people's houses, we just make sure everyone has washed their hands. He's had two or three colds now, and he's handled them like a champ. But, since he is underweight for his age, and does not eat much anyway, even something like a cold makes it harder for him to grow and get stronger.
So, around here, we all get flu shots. I just got mine Friday at Krogers. My husband will get his free at work in October, and we'll get Cameron one as soon as the pediatrician has them in stock. I've been getting the flu shot for over 10 years now. Now that the immunization is available, I can't find a reason not to take advantage of it. The flu would be really bad for Cameron, so we even ask all the grandparents to make sure that they also get immunized. Here's to a happy and healthy flu season to everyone!
The year before Cameron was born, we took a three day trip to Cancun, Mexico. It was so awesome. We stayed at the Riu Palace Las Americas, which was less than a year old in 2004. They had the most amazing pool! It was enormous. It had beautiful waterfalls, in-water lounge chairs, and it even had a bar! This was one of those all-inclusive places where the food, drinks, and entertainment are included in the original package price. Also, the resort overlooked the beach, which was just a few yards from the pool. What a fun vacation! 
We would love to go back there around Thanksgiving this year. But now we're really on a budget. I've been pricing different packages on-line. Even if we don't go this year, we definitely want to go back sometime soon. We are really lucky in that both sets of grandparents jump at the chance to babysit.
There are lots of different on-line travel websites that offer packages. All you have to do is enter in your basic travel plans, and you can find out exactly how much the trip will cost. I love the fact that there are no hidden expenses. For example, you enter in your travel destination, along with the dates you wish to go and whether or not you want to include the flight and/or a rental car. The sites will give you all the available hotel options based on the information you enter. You can then choose the hotel you wish to stay at. Since we were able to get such a great deal through their site in 2004, we are definitely going to use hotelreservations.com to book our next trip.What's really neat is that you can click on the hotel and see pictures of exactly where you'll stay. You can even use it to find the best deals on vacation rentals.
Hotel Reservations has given me the following deal on a trip to Cancun in November: Roundtrip flight for two adults leaving Houston, TX, to Cancun, Mexico, with 3 nights/4 days at the Riu Palace Las Americas Resort, for $661 per person! I entered the exact same dates, and specifications using another leading on-line competitor, and found the price to be $760 per person. Wow, that's about $100 cheaper per person! When we decide to book this vacation, I'm definitely going to use this site. I can't wait!
Aaaahhh. Another Saturday is here. Our game is at 2:30pm. LSU v. South Carolina.....In the '90s, LSU had a reputation for losing it's day games at home. But those days are long gone. LSU should dominate again this week, proving that they should be the number one ranked team in the nation. USC is still ranked number one, even though they only have two games under their belt. I would love for LSU to get the opportunity to play USC this year.....As for today's game against the Gamecocks, we should be able to dominate. However, the guys from College Game Day seem to think it will be a close game. We'll find out in two hours! Geaux Tigers!!!
I can't believe that October is almost here! I can't wait for Halloween. Cameron's going to be a pirate this year. But, that also means that Christmas will be here before we know it. Chris and I have already started buying each other really practical gifts for Christmas. The days of buying each other jewelry or cool electronics are long gone. But, since I am staying home now, we have to be a lot more practical about money. Thank goodness for couponchief.com. This is a one stop coupon and discount resource for lots of the most popular stores.
If I could buy anything I wanted this Christmas, here's what I would buy each member of my family:
I would use Home Depot coupons to get my husband a new gas hot water heater. Ours is getting old, and he's always talking about getting a new one. While I'm there, I could also get myself the GE Profile™ Energy Star® 25.1 Cu. Ft. Stainless French Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator with Externa (yes, I know exactly which one).
For Cameron, I'd like to get him the Learn and Groove Musical Table by Leap Frog. I just found the KB Toys coupon codes. Cameron loves his Baby Tad, and I love the quality of Leap Frog products.
The last time we took our dog, Buster, in to be groomed, I saw some really great Pet Smart deals. I would buy him a Corduroy and Sherpa Bolster Dog Bed. Buster isn't happy unless he's sleeping in a recliner or on the couch, so it would be great if he had his own super comfortable spot (where he wouldn't be bothered by a two year old).
Buster is our five year old West Highland White Terrier. He was our first baby and our first love. Terriers are known for their feistiness. They are stubborn and loyal by nature. Buster is no exception.
He spends his days lounging around the house, taking several long naps throughout the day. But, Buster waits all day for his evening walk. When he sees me looking for my shoes, or when he gets that first whiff of mosquito repellant, he loses it. He barks and runs around just as fast as he did when he was a puppy. In fact, he gets so excited that it's almost impossible to get the harness around his neck. Finally, we're off.
Buster likes certain "poles" to mark his territory. Like most male dogs, Buster has quite an ego. He likes to "go" on corners of fences where dogs reside. He prefers gas lights to fire hydrants, and light poles to mail boxes. He lives for this twenty minutes of dog heaven.
On our walks, there are several cats that make their presence known. Some peek above fences, while others brazenly sit in the middle of "his" sidewalk. Buster hates cats. He goes crazy if he hears one in our front bushes. He can run at the speed of light to chase one out of our backyard. But, that was before he met "the big, fat, tan cat."
According to my husband's report last night, Buster came face to face with BFTC. She was parked at the end of her own driveway. Buster could not resist walking right up to her. Upon approaching her, she stood up, hissed, and actually growled at Buster. What did our strong, tough, stubborn Westie do? He just meekly walked past her, giving her the respect she had finally just earned.
What a puss.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I hate crowded stores! I don't even like going grocery shopping...and I get claustrophobic just thinking about crowded malls! Last year, we were able to purchase many of our Christmas gifts on-line. It was so nice not having to deal with the hustle and bustle of busy stores. And now that we have a toddler, it makes on-line shopping even more attractive. We were getting packages delivered to the house almost every day last December! This year we're planning on doing the majority of our shopping on-line again.
My mom loves to shop on the Friday after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday. This does not interest me, but I must admit that she does come away with lots of great deals. Most stores offer really amazing prices on that day. We use a blackfriday website to help save money on Christmas presents. What's cool about the site, is that it even offers email alerts to let you know when new Black Friday ads have been posted. Imagine getting all your shopping done while sipping coffee and wearing your pajamas. Now that's my kind of shopping!
Target is my favorite place to shop. We have a fairly new store near our home, but why bother going into the store when I can shop from my computer? With reasonable prices, and everything I need, it's a great place to find the perfect presents for everyone on my list.
.....the meme that forces me to recognize my laziness and do something about it!
Week 4: Wow, a cavity made me actually floss my teeth! (7 out of 7 days). I haven't been using the elliptical much, but I have been jogging a little every night when I walk the dog. My allergies are starting to kick in though. This week I am going to drink less coffee. I'm only going to make this amount so that I can't cheat.
Week 3: OK, I took a month off from SHS. I just went to the dentist and I have a cavity.....ugggg. So I will really floss now every night. Also, I will make sure I go to the dentist for a cleaning every 6 months. We've been letting it slide to more like once a year.
Week 2: I pledge to start timing myself on the computer. For every hour I spend on the computer, I must use the Elliptical Machine 10 minutes.....will the computer time be worth it? (6 out of 35 days)
Wouldn't owning this pink Dyson make you want to vacuum all the time? I just love the look of this machine. If you would like to win this limited edition, Pink All Floors Dyson Vacuum, head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and leave a comment.
Target and Dyson are donating $40 for every pink Dyson purchased towards Breast Cancer Research. Plus, Dyson has offered to also donate the full retail value of a second DC07 Pink vacuum ($400) to the BCRF in honor of the 5 Minutes for Mom Giveaway.
This Pink All Floors Dyson Vacuum is only available at Target stores. If you want to buy one, you'd better hurry! Fifty percent of them have already been sold!
Good luck, but I hope I win!
Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?
Oh I'm pretty easy. If it's pretty, I like it. I'm not big on abstract art.
Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?
Hmmm. In a restaurant??? We received several gift cards for Christmas, and we just went to a nice restaurant in Galveston a few weeks ago. (It was from hubby's boss.)
Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?
Hahaha. Last week, 10..... but now I'm back to my cool as a cucumber 5.
Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?
1 hour?? I usually write more than I receive : )
Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?
My husband likes it at 75 degrees at night...but I need a blanket at that temperature. During the day I keep it at 77 or 76 degrees. You have to remember, it doesn't get cold here until almost December. We're still having days where it's over 90 degrees (with lots of humidity.....why do we live here again??)
Go to Friday's Feast to join in the fun!
13. Who Wants a Dragon? by James Mayhew
12. Best Friends by Keith Kimberlin
11. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr./ Eric Carle
10. Opposites by Sandra Boynton
9. Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake by Eileen Christelow
8. But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
6. The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
5. I Love You, Little One by Nancy Tafuri
4. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
3. What Makes a Rainbow? by Betty Schwartz/Dona Turner
2. Who's Under That Hat? by David A. Carter
1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney/Anita Jeram
This week's Heads or Tails theme is key(s). I was thinking I'd do something about the key to happiness, or the key to a great life...but what do I know? So I decided to go back and talk about all the important actual keys I have needed in my life (that I can remember).
So here are "13 Keys To a Great Life that I've Needed in My Life"
1. 9 yrs. old -- First key to my house -- A lady down the street from us kept my brother and I in the summer that year. The key was just in case of an emergency, etc.. I had about 5 key chains for that one key.
2. 10 yrs. old -- Key to my bike lock -- nevermind, it was a combination lock
3. 12 yrs. old -- Locker key -- Those junior high locker padlocks....and only 4 min. between classes!
4. 15 yrs. old -- Keys to my dad's truck -- (OK I still only had my learner's permit, but I still had possession of the keys at times)
5. 18 yrs. old -- Keys to my dorm room at Texas A&M....and a bike lock key
6. 20 yrs. old -- Keys to my first car...woohooo...Nissan Sentra Baby. Also, keys to my first apartment I shared with my best friend.
7. 21 yrs. old -- Keys to my first classroom for teaching. It was in a separate building, so the door opened to the outside....glad nobody ever escaped on me.
8. 22 yrs. old -- Keys to our first apartment as a married couple.
9. 23 yrs. old -- Keys to the apartment we had to move to, due to the fact that our first apartment had a mold problem and the toilet above us leaked through the ceiling.....yep, just as gross as you're thinking it could have been.
10. 24 yrs. old -- Keys to our house!! What an exciting time for us. I remember how big this house used to seem....now it's packed with everything Little Tykes has ever made!
11. 25 yrs. old -- Keys to my new school and classroom....oooh carpet.
12. 27 yrs. old -- Keys to the temporary apartment we stayed in while our son was in the hospital.
13. 29 yrs. old - Keys to our minivan....oh how I love it so. My husband would say, "Well if you love it so much, why is it so dirty?" But I do.
Head on over to Skittles' Place to participate in the Heads or Tails Meme and join in the fun. You can even join the blogroll! Weekly topics are listed on her site.
Monday: Cheese Enchiladas
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Cajun Stuffed Crabs (click here for recipe)
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Almost Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Twice Baked Potatoes with a salad
Sunday: Eating at in-laws house
Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!
.....the meme that forces me to recognize my laziness and do something about it!
Week 3: OK, I took a month off from SHS. I just went to the dentist and I have a cavity.....ugggg. So I will really floss now every night. Also, I will make sure I go to the dentist for a cleaning every 6 months. We've been letting it slide to more like once a year.
Week 2: I pledge to start timing myself on the computer. For every hour I spend on the computer, I must use the Elliptical Machine 10 minutes.....will the computer time be worth it? (6 out of 35 days)
Here are the results to the Mama Pajama Movie Quiz. Sorry you needed a magnifying glass to see these pictures! Next time I'll make sure they are bigger! Malcolm and Barb tied as the winners, each getting nine out of eleven correct. Congratulations you two!! I predict that you will each go on to win fabulous prizes....but not today : ). Thanks to all that participated!!
A. The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
C. Ghostbusters (1984)
Ugg. The last time we went to the hospital was to get a head CT for my son. He gets them frequently to check his shunt. We see lots of specialists at Texas Children's Hospital. While I usually dread the days we must go there, I'm also grateful that we live fairly close and that such a wonderful resource exists!
Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
In high school and college - 9.5......Now I'm probably a 2.
Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
T-O-N-G-U-E The other new grandmothers understood everything.
Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
NAGFE - Naps are good for everybody.
Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?
The very unique...................tan.
Go to Friday's Feast to join in the fun!
Anna over at Beth & Cory's Mom has just given me the "You Make Me Smile Award." It was originally created by Bridget at And Miles to Go Before We Sleep...I have really enjoyed getting to know other bloggers over the past few months. Why didn't I start doing this sooner??
Here are 7 people that make me smile each day. Please take your award and pass it around to at least three others!
1. Gattina at Writer Cramps - I just love your sense of humor. When I need a good laugh, I know where to check. You also find the funniest cartoons! And, most importantly, you aren't afraid to "tell it like it is."
2. Frigga at Any Apples - I love your stories (The one about your office "Bear" was so well written, I was grinning from ear to ear. We've all been in similar circumstances!) You are so honest and truly funny.
3. Sandee at Comedy Plus - You find the funniest jokes...but you are also genuinely sweet. I enjoyed reading your 5 Best Nights post....very revealing!! I check your site first thing in the morning for a big smile to start my day.
4. Kara at A Bit of Me - You really helped me figure out all this blogging stuff...even if you didn't know it at the time (haha). Thanks for your kind e-mail! I love hearing about all the stuff that goes on with Baby, Toddler, and Little Baby. You have a hectic life right now...but you're also young and energetic!
5. Malcolm at Pop Culture Dish - I enjoy reading about "eclectic" bits of pop culture. Your blog is "right up my alley." I'm a mom....but I also like the pop culture you're dishing. I'm guessing it would be really hard to beat you at any type of entertainment trivia game!
6. Barb at Skittles' Place - I never know what I'm going to get on your site...and I love that! You always find funny prizes and "interesting" YouTube clips.....I especially loved your movie quiz. Can you tell?
7. Alison at Cherished Moments with My 2 Angels - You always leave the sweetest comments. I enjoy reading about your adventures with Drew and Mikayla. &n
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