Visual of Myself

Today, I had a doctor's appointment. Brian stayed home with the kids which meant I got to fly solo. On the way back, I rolled the windows down to let the wind blow through my hair, reclined my seat, and cranked up the music full blast...feeling so very young and carefree! As I rolled up to a stoplight, where others were enjoying the beautiful morning, I realized a couple of things. First, they probably weren't loving my obnoxiously loud, rap music blaring. Second, they probably thought I was a complete old wanna be. You see I drive this...

BUT, IN MY MIND, I drive this...only elevated a few more inches, with a little extra bounce, and a bumping stereo...

***Funny thing...I act like that when the kids are with me! Music pumping and we're a dancin'! Good Times...in JayMommy Style!

Saving Money, Money! Yea! Yea!

I just recently became obsessed with coupons. Yes, one more thing to be obsessed with during nap time or the wee hours of the night! Anywho, I love when I can save a buck in order to spend a buck on something for the kids (or put into savings)! I have come across a few websites/blogs that are awesome. They really take the guess work out of the whole process and make it easier to follow. I have been saving about a $100 every two weeks! AND no I am not buying stuff I don't need or usually use! Check them out!

Hip 2 Save...found while surfing money saving blogs; LOVE THIS...all kinds of deals!
Southern Savers...my friend Sarah Bragg recommended this site and it is so helpful!
Happy Homemaker...my friend, Chris (Fischer) Back attends a Mom's group with this blogger-I am fairly new to this one, but like that it is by someone local, so it better fits my Kroger Sales Ads.

Chef in the Making

Little Man loves to help me cook and entertain! Occasionally, I will put him in charge of a job. This particular day, we made breakfast for lunch. He was responsible for buttering the toast! Brian was the first to try it!






***I think it is safe to say that Brian was struck with fear when he saw the heart attack on a plate! Mmmmmm...yummy, yummy YUCK! He was a good Daddy and ate it like it was the most delicious thing in the world. I managed to avoid eating this delectable creation.

Poor Baby

So, Peanut has been sick with a high fever and then broke out in a rash! I called the doctor and they think she had roseola. This has happened before with her. My mom and mother-in-law didn't think you could get it twice. The doctor says it can happen more than once. Symptoms seem to match up, so I guess trying not to worry is an order! I just feel bad for this munchkin. She seems to have such a rough time in the sick department. Glad she is finally feeling better and hoping the rash goes away soon! Check her out...

Lemonade Party

One of my very favorite activities is to entertain! I love to plan parties and hang out with friends. I often think back to my college days when I threw a bridal shower for my good friend, Jessie. MORTIFYING! She actually threw one for me and it was so much better than my attempt! I have tried to improve my skills with some occasional success. I will try to post some pictures of past birthday parties I have done for the kids at a later time.
So, I got this idea to have summer party for my friends and decided to host a Southern Living AT HOME party. One of my favorite drinks is lemonade, so a theme evolved. I didn't plan for this party like I usually do! Normally, I am making plans months ahead of time. This party was planned in just a couple of weeks, so I wasn't able to find as many themed items as I like (AND a lot of summer goodies have been clearanced out). While I had fun planning and prepping the food, the party didn't turn out as I envisioned because I held my sick little baby girl for the majority of 2 days. Some ideas had to go! I only am posting some of the pics for my mom to see and the recipes because several have asked for them. Also, please note that photos are not great because my camera is broke!

INVITE...

Pitcher was the centerpiece...the cups were from the dollar store and used for plasticware and lemon candies!

Had on my counter as another pop of LEMON color...


Okay, so, this is my weak attempt at making a sign! I love to use my Cricut any chance I can. My 1st choice would be to use items from POLKA DOTS and PIRATES, but this party was a bit last minute for her work. This woman is amazing! Check her out! I am even on the waiting list for the kids' birthday parties for next spring.

This was on top of the lemonade stand...


Found this on a whim at Sam's while I was waiting for Brian to pick me up...


FOOD...YES...I see that the tablecloth is not centered...sorry! Needed a pop of color with a runner, don't ya think?

One the ideas that didn't get completely done...food cards...so simple...labels on scrapbooking card stock...


I wanted to give these as favors, but decided to give to friends when I deliver their Southern Living AT HOME products...Brian laughed at me on this one!

MY FAVORITE...Little Man loves to help me plan and set up for the parties...from start to finish...literally...this was his contribution...I LOVE IT AND HIM! He knows how to make a momma's heart swell with pride...

RECIPES...
It is super hard for me to follow a recipe. I learned to cook from my mommasita and Grandma Jean. We go by feel and taste, so some have actual recipes and others are just me playing around with recipes.

Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing~

Ingredients:

Arugula

Parmesan Cheese

Lemon Dressing

Dressing:

4 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

2 tsp of sugar

Salt/Pepper to taste

3 tbsp of olive oil

3 tbsp of grape seed oil

Whisk it dressing ingredients together and toss with Arugula and Cheese!

Add some pine nuts for crunch!

Lemon Fruit DIP

Ingredients:

2- 6 ounce containers of lemon yogurt

8 ounces of sour cream

1 tablespoon of Agave Syrup

1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice

Mix all together and serve with any kind of fruit. I used strawberries.

Maggie's FRESH DIP

***I got this from my friend, Maggie! I add some salt to the cream cheese for extra flavor and bumped the basil up!

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

dash of kosher salt

2-3 tablespoons of basil

one diced tomato

one diced cucumber

Mix cream cheese, garlic, basil, and salt together; form into a ball; add chopped veggies to the top! Serve with your favorite crackers!

MOCK TOFFEE BARS...Family Fun recipe...just click!

LEMON BERRY CUPCAKES...love this recipe from my favorite Food Magazine; used a combo of berry flavors! Just click...

Special shout-out to Debbie for helping me finish up last minute things and taking some photos for my family to see. Cathy from Southern Living AT HOME for driving four hours for a party! She is wonderful! Also, Tim for taking the kids for the evening! Thanks! Hope everyone had a good time...

Garage Sale

I feel like I have been gone forever from the blogging world. Guess that is what happens when kids are sick, have a garage sale, host a party, and celebrate an anniversary. My camera is burning up with tons of posts and on the verge of a breakdown because of overuse! :)

We had a garage sale with my former job share partner, Colleen, and her family. It was a lot of fun and can be deemed as a success. We didn't have a lot of HUGE priced items and really only had the garage sale open for a day and a half. Colleen was able to sell over $200 worth of stuff and I made over $150. My $150 reached beyond my goal of $100. You see, the only reason I had the garage sale was to pay for a locker I purchased from IKEA for the kids' educational stuff! YES, Brian would agree with you that I did things a bit backwards.

Not only did the we make money, but the kids made memories with their friends. Colleen and I had our kids together while teaching together, so it makes it that much more special when they are together.

Gotta laugh

I was looking through my photos and found this one...PEANUT cracks me up! PRICELESS PHOTO...

Love of my life...

Today will mark my 9th year being married to my best friend, Brian. I think we have been together for a total of 12 years. We met at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. He saw me on the "Ped Mall" during a block party and told his friends he would marry me one day. Little did he know that he would really be stuck with me! Love you, Brian!

COLLEGE YEARS...

GOT MARRIED...

GROWING OLD TOGETHER...

Projects Here, There, AND Everywhere!

When we were driving home from Oklahoma, Brian asked me what my plans were for the rest of the summer. I handed him a large, pink Post-it with about 20 things that I would like to get done. The look on his face was one of fear and concern because he knows those projects include help and money!

In the process of completing a mini-project on the list (repairing a frame that was hit with a basketball :), Peanut ran off with my list. I am thinking she loved that it was pink and sticky. I tried to get it and demanded she return it, but was stuck with the hot glue gun which didn't help the cause. I have yet to find it. This creates a bit of panic for me because I am a list maker...love the feeling of marking something off! I shouldn't fear because my projects are screaming my name by their very presence...

Trying to create an area to store my educational games/activities for the kids!

Stay tuned for before and after photos!

Some other projects include:

*organize and order pictures

*create digital scrapbooks

*hang blinds

*garage sale

*have Southern Living Party (decided on Lemonade theme)

*get deck refinished

*vinyl lettering for Isaiah's bedroom

*Ice Cream Party

*little odds and ends that are too boring to mention

***MOST IMPORTANT...playing with the kids and Brian!

Oklahoma...Summer Fun

I AM BACK with PICS! We always have a blast in Oklahoma and it was just too hard to pick what pictures to share. Here are the highlights...

Diva "Peanut" was able to stay true to herself the whole week...

Which made me have to find my happy place behind these ever so cute pink shades...

This is my Daddy...isn't he cute! I love being around him for a good laugh or a boost of wisdom!



We celebrated my brother, Cameron's birthday at a Japanese Steakhouse...

We visited a new place called POPS on Route 66...so very retro fun! It is a gas station with hundreds of flavors of pop lining the windows. There is even a little diner inside! Check out the huge pop bottle with straw. This little visit may have inspired me for Little Man's birthday party...

Hanging with Nonny and Poppy...what is Little Man doing?

Celebrated 4th of July...

My mother is a wonderful cook and always has little activities to do with the kids. This trip they made patriotic donuts out of pizza dough and a star cookie cutter. We dipped them in a Nutella glaze, cinnamon sugar mixture, raspberry glaze, and old fashioned glaze...Yum-o!

First time at an actual Fireworks stand to buy fireworks!

We went to see the fireworks in the church van. The kids were having fun in the back with Aunt KeeKee. Lots of laughs...strolled through a very upscale neighborhood to see amateur fireworks, used a port-a-potty, and got a bit lost. You read that right...we were out in the country and had to go old school with a paper map because the GPS wouldn't register.

We spent a lot of time in the backyard playing on the slip'n'slide and splashing around in the pool. Yes, PEANUT is naked in 1st pic...that girl cracks me up...don't think I didn't try to keep her decent!

I had to put this in...this is my sister-in-law, Whitney. I love this girl for many reasons. She is stylish, a big giver, creative, and is so very good to my children. Peanut wouldn't leave her alone! Love ya...Aunt Whitney!

We are super blessed...can't wait to make more memories together!

Never Fails...

Shootbang...
No matter how hard I try not to forget something at my parents' house in OKC...I ALWAYS DO! This time I left Annie's favorite baby and my USB cord to my camera! Guess what that means? No, can do (yet) on uploading the photos. Check back because I have some great pics of us doing lots of whatnot activities.
Along those lines...you know how you can always count on knowing your loved ones' personality, beliefs, philosophies, and likes/dislikes. You know...never fails this person is the same! Over the last couple of weeks, I have begun to wonder if you can ever really know someone. I mean really know them. I am currently living under a roof with a man that I am not sure if I know. His whole philosophy and likes have changed. I tried to ignore it and even thought his new outlook would fade away. Can this be the man I married? I realized the seriousness of the issue when he took his new thinking to Oklahoma and my brother commented on it! My husband has gone to the dark side according to my family. The man drinks DIET COKE! What? (Pretend you see the picture I took of him drinking his new drink of choice!) We are talking about the man that would never touch anything but PEPSI and now he drinks DIET PEPSI's rival! Really? Don't get me wrong...I am all for a healthy change, but both sides of our family are loyal fans of PEPSI! What is next?
Don't think that he is the only one that has changed philosophies over the last few weeks. My sister now owns a dog. You read that correctly...a dog! AND she loves it! This girl hated everything about dogs and wasn't afraid to tell you about it. What is going on?

Just goes to show you...be on guard...PEOPLE will surprise you all the time, every time.

He Works Hard for Our Money...

...so hard for it honey! So, we better treat him right!

I am so lucky to be married to a HOT, tender-hearted, and hardworking man. You see when I was pregnant with Little Man, we made a commitment for me to work part-time as a teacher. He values the importance of me being home with our children as much as possible! In order for this to happen, you will see Brian around town working all sorts of jobs. He teaches, coaches, site manages for football, mows lawns, umpires, and runs basketball camps just to name a few! Just recently, he was selected to work a camp here in Oklahoma City for Kevin Durant. This camp allowed Brian and Little Man to meet Kevin and get a jersey autographed that Brian won at Kings Island. Oh yeah...we got paid too! What a man, What a man...A MIGHTY GOOD MAN! Thanks and love you, Brian!

BTW, Kevin was super nice and down to earth! Look how sweet!