Are you ready for the winner??
According to random.org, the winner is...Cait from Fit, Fierce and Fabulous!
Thanks for participating everyone! I'll be having a few more giveaways through out November and December so stay tuned. :)
Happy Friday eve! ;)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Oh How Pinteresting!
It's been a while since I've linked up with the newly married Michelle at The Vintage Apple! I thought I would today since I've been on a pinning spree lately
Follow me on Pinterest! 567k8
Source: domessticated.com via Kate on Pinterest
A copycat version of McD's Frappe. MUST TRY!
Source: skinnytaste.com via Kate on Pinterest
Crock Pot Chicken Chilli. Yum!
Source: tinyandpetite.tumblr.com via Kate on Pinterest
A little exercise inspiration...I kicked my butt back in to high gearing, hoping to be down 20 pounds by Christmas. I can do this!!
Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Kate on Pinterest
Always timely!
What have you pinned lately?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Burger King Fail.
So when I go to Wal Mart or running errands out of town with the kids, we often grab fast food for lunch. I get a salad and Rory gets a kids' meal. This is usually a big win because Trace can nom on some fries and cut up pieces of her burger, some lettuce from my salad, whatever while Rory eats and plays with her new toy from the kids' meal. At a fast food joint, people expect children to be present and no one gives you the evil eye if say, for example, your daughter stands on the bench and sings the ABCs for the whole room to hear and refuses to sit down. Fast food restaurant patrons are our kind of crowd these days. We don't do sit down restaurants very often right now. It's just not a good experience! Fast food is much more enjoyable.
Best kids meal? That's tough. Subway has great choices, Rory loves the apples but the "toys" lately are a Lion King Bag. Ro was excited for the first one, but after that...meh. We're toy purists over here in the forest. ;) The winner for this always goes to whomever has the best toy at the moment. Usually McD's wins since they typically have the Disney themed toys for each movie.
But uhh Burger King? You failed me.
Straight. Up. Failed. Me.
We've been in to BK lately. Rory loves their nuggets and I think their iced coffee is the best of all the fast food places. For REAL. (McD's has the best everything else coffee related, but Iced Coffee is definitely BK.) There's a really nice Burger King in the same plaza as the Wal Mart we use most. It's always very clean, staffed by friendly people and typically filled with adorable senior citizens whom are amused by my kids. Seems like a great fit to me!
Until last week when they changed their kids' meal toys.
Now, CHILDREN who order a kid's meal get a Simpsons toy. Yes, like Bart or Marge or that cat. I was seriously shocked when I pulled Rory's toy out. I was really disappointed! Rory has no clue who the Simpsons are and should have no clue for many years. That show is NOT appropriate for anyone young enough to be ordering a kids' meal. The typical age range for a kid's meal is 2-10. TEN. That's 5th grade. I'm sorry but a 5th grader should not be watching The Simpsons. And certainly anyone younger should not be watching it either. I didn't enjoy having to explain to Rory who the character on her toy was. She thinks anyone animated is from a "Rory show" (what she calls a kid's show) and of course asked me if she could watch "this cat show." Granted, she forgot about it a few hours later and we haven't had to discuss what The Simpsons is and why can't watch it since, but still. That's so inappropriate!
Burger King, you failed on this one. I'm so disappointed! We won't be eating at BK until the toys in the kids meal cycle to something much more appropriate for our kids. With tv and media inundating our kids these days with images and messages of things much too mature for their little eyes, it makes me angry that a restaurant would find it even slightly acceptable to put toys in kid's meals from an adult cartoon.
Makes those bags from Subway look pretty great, doesn't it?
Best kids meal? That's tough. Subway has great choices, Rory loves the apples but the "toys" lately are a Lion King Bag. Ro was excited for the first one, but after that...meh. We're toy purists over here in the forest. ;) The winner for this always goes to whomever has the best toy at the moment. Usually McD's wins since they typically have the Disney themed toys for each movie.
But uhh Burger King? You failed me.
Straight. Up. Failed. Me.
We've been in to BK lately. Rory loves their nuggets and I think their iced coffee is the best of all the fast food places. For REAL. (McD's has the best everything else coffee related, but Iced Coffee is definitely BK.) There's a really nice Burger King in the same plaza as the Wal Mart we use most. It's always very clean, staffed by friendly people and typically filled with adorable senior citizens whom are amused by my kids. Seems like a great fit to me!
Until last week when they changed their kids' meal toys.
Now, CHILDREN who order a kid's meal get a Simpsons toy. Yes, like Bart or Marge or that cat. I was seriously shocked when I pulled Rory's toy out. I was really disappointed! Rory has no clue who the Simpsons are and should have no clue for many years. That show is NOT appropriate for anyone young enough to be ordering a kids' meal. The typical age range for a kid's meal is 2-10. TEN. That's 5th grade. I'm sorry but a 5th grader should not be watching The Simpsons. And certainly anyone younger should not be watching it either. I didn't enjoy having to explain to Rory who the character on her toy was. She thinks anyone animated is from a "Rory show" (what she calls a kid's show) and of course asked me if she could watch "this cat show." Granted, she forgot about it a few hours later and we haven't had to discuss what The Simpsons is and why can't watch it since, but still. That's so inappropriate!
Burger King, you failed on this one. I'm so disappointed! We won't be eating at BK until the toys in the kids meal cycle to something much more appropriate for our kids. With tv and media inundating our kids these days with images and messages of things much too mature for their little eyes, it makes me angry that a restaurant would find it even slightly acceptable to put toys in kid's meals from an adult cartoon.
Makes those bags from Subway look pretty great, doesn't it?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Some Open Letters
Wait, you're looking for my Erin Condren Giveaway?? It's right here! It's open until Wednesday the 12th at midnight. $50 worth of Erin Condren goodies?! Good deal. :) Shout out to Erin Condren Company. They are aaaamazing. They got wind of my giveaway yesterday via twitter and have been so supportive and excited! Normally companies don't pay attention to tiny little blogs like me, but EC sent me several emails with tips, support and general excitement. They are so sweet! Find them on FB here and show them some love! Tell Kate sent you. :o)
Now on to today's business...Some letters to business...
Dear Facebook,
I really like the new prof layout. Not crazy about the new news feed, but whatever, I'll get used to it. But I really hate the friend suggestions at the top of my news feed. Especially since EVERY time I log on, you suggest I be friends with my exboyfriend. Like...the one I will never speak to again, not the normal ones. Please, for goodness sake, make it stop!
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Starbucks,
I understand that my town is about the size of an ant hill. But I firmly believe you should consider opening a store here. I mean, our closest Starbucks is over an hour away. That's an awful long drive every time I need a white chocolate mocha or Rory wants a cake pop. Seriously, think about it.
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Target,
See what I said to Starbucks, but substitute an hour and a half for distance and "all sorts of awesome" for white chocolate mocha and "crack like popcorn" for cake pop. Love yah. Please open near me sooner.
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear McDonalds,
Shout out for your new plans for the Happy Meal! Half the french fries, half the apples. I firmly approve of this. Rory will be a happy kid! I think it teaches better portion control AND that you don't have to ignore fries, just balance them with healthy stuff. Well done!
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Nike Golf,
You could send me a bunch of stuff for Trace's birthday party. Balls, tees, pictures, whatever. I wouldn't mind. I'll review you on my blog. Just saying.
Sincerely,
Kate
Happy Weekend, everybody! I hope your weather is as beautiful as ours is going to be. Low 70's, sunny and gorgeous! Probably our last chance to get outside until the snow flies. Yay! Enjoy!
Now on to today's business...Some letters to business...
Dear Facebook,
I really like the new prof layout. Not crazy about the new news feed, but whatever, I'll get used to it. But I really hate the friend suggestions at the top of my news feed. Especially since EVERY time I log on, you suggest I be friends with my exboyfriend. Like...the one I will never speak to again, not the normal ones. Please, for goodness sake, make it stop!
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Starbucks,
I understand that my town is about the size of an ant hill. But I firmly believe you should consider opening a store here. I mean, our closest Starbucks is over an hour away. That's an awful long drive every time I need a white chocolate mocha or Rory wants a cake pop. Seriously, think about it.
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Target,
See what I said to Starbucks, but substitute an hour and a half for distance and "all sorts of awesome" for white chocolate mocha and "crack like popcorn" for cake pop. Love yah. Please open near me sooner.
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear McDonalds,
Shout out for your new plans for the Happy Meal! Half the french fries, half the apples. I firmly approve of this. Rory will be a happy kid! I think it teaches better portion control AND that you don't have to ignore fries, just balance them with healthy stuff. Well done!
Sincerely,
Kate
Dear Nike Golf,
You could send me a bunch of stuff for Trace's birthday party. Balls, tees, pictures, whatever. I wouldn't mind. I'll review you on my blog. Just saying.
Sincerely,
Kate
Happy Weekend, everybody! I hope your weather is as beautiful as ours is going to be. Low 70's, sunny and gorgeous! Probably our last chance to get outside until the snow flies. Yay! Enjoy!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
My First Giveaway!!! (And...it's a good one!)
Are you ready?
No seriously, you want to know??
AN ERIN CONDREN PLANNER!!!!!!!
Or $50 worth of Erin Condren goodies if you already have a planner. A tray, stationary, whatever! :) Now before you go thinking I'm some huge big spender, I'm using my $25 off coupon to help out. ;) I just want to share the Erin Condren LOVE with everyone! Seriously you guys? My life planner is my hands down fave thing I've bought in the last year. It's rivaling my Keurig and Kindle. It's perfect. I love it. I'll be getting one every year, for real. Some pics of my little beauty...
The outside
Inside the front cover! How pretty are you, love!
A view of a monthly calendar and space for notes each month! And yes, my October is bananas.
A week view!
Super cute stickers that came with the planner! There's two pages of printed stickers and two pages of blank ones!
Some beautiful extra goodies!
So how do you enter? Easy! Please leave a separate comment for each entry!!
1. Be a public follower of my blog. Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite Christmas movie is. Head on over to Erin Condren and tell me what you think you'd pick! Mandatory! :)
2. Like Erin Condren on FB! Mandatory! (Updated on 10/6 at 2:30 pm. If you entered before then, no worries! You still get your two mandatory entries. Erin Condren asked me to add this because their FB page need some loving, and I'm happy to oblige! :))
3. Tweet about this giveaway and link it to my blog. Use my handle! @567k8 (Optional)
4. Blog about this giveaway and link it to my blog, please. (Optional)
5. Post this giveaway on FB and link it back to here! (Optional)
So that's FIVE potential entries! This giveaway begins on 10-6-11 and will be open until Midnight on Wednesday, October 12. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, October 13! Good luck!!! :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
PYHO: A Year of Exhaustion
Trace was born on Monday, October 25, 2010 via scheduled C-section. Everything about him was wonderful. 9 lbs, 2 oz, 21 inches long, a little dash of dark hair, big beautiful blue eyes. My recovery was easy, he got great reports all the time from the nursery. We left the hospital on a Thursday with him already on a good eat-play-sleep scheduled (Thanks, Baby Wise!) All things considered, I assumed this would be a relatively similar situation to Rory's newborn days. I expected lots of sleeplessness, lots of snuggling and new challenges. I was prepared to be tired. I wasn't prepared for an entire year of exhaustion.
Around 3 or 4 weeks, Trace started screaming. All. The. Time. I don't mean just being fussy or crying. I mean SCREAMING. This lead to a discovery of a milk allergy. We ended up switching to soy formula, thinking that would be the solution.
Nope.
Not even close.
Things got worse and worse. The crying, the screaming, the fighting between me and Dave. We were arguing out of fear, out of anxiety, out of frustration.
Eventually, Trace was diagnosed with Acid Reflux after an incredibly trying trip to Florida. That was in March and we've been doing Zantac twice a day since. Add in some choking episodes, a handful of trips to the Children's Hospital, a flouroscopy...yeah. We've had a year of doctor's appointments.
But this is all old news to anyone who's ever been around here. Trace's stomach issues are exhausting but the worst part of all of this? The emotional wear. The strain it's placed on my relationship with my husband, the anger I feel, the constant worry that Trace will get his little paws on something dairy related. Dave and I have tried to hard to be a united front on this issue, but our naturally personalities vary so much. He gets mad because he worries. I slip into problem solving mode and try to fix the problems away. Neither approach is appropriate. Neither is a solution. And certainly neither is God's vision for my marriage. That I am sure of.
If I had to sum up the first year of Trace's life, in regards to his health, I could do it in one word. Exhaustion. Sheer, pure exhaustion. It's probably about a 50-50 split on the number of nights I've gotten uninterrupted sleep and the number of nights Trace has required me to get up and help him. My emotions are run down. I look like hell, mainly because there are days when it's either get ready for the day or grab 45 minutes of sleep. I have barely even scratched the surface of getting my post baby body back. I'm using food as a comfort item because I'm stressed. That's no excuse but it is what it is.
I guess what I mean to say is...I'm pretty darn proud of myself for surviving the last year. When I look back, I can honestly pat myself on the back for the things I've accomplished. I spoke up, clearly and loudly, to doctors giving us the run around. I learned quickly to curb my frustrations and give Trace positive energy. I grew really close to the Lord, spending lots of time in devotions and prayers. I realized that it isn't necessarily true that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I could NOT have handled all of this with Trace alone. He gave it to me to lean on Him through.
Things aren't fixed by any means. We've got issues to deal with. Trace's health issues are far from resolved. This next year, we're going to focus on being a family. Connecting. Rejuvenating. And being so thankful that we survived!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Let's Par-tee!
Trace's birthday party is in two weeks. I'm woefully unprepared. As in...I got the kid one present so far. Invitations have gone out, actually and the cake has been ordered. BUT. Other than that? Yeah...not much has been done!
His theme is Golf, of course. We're calling it his first birthday "par-tee!" (Excuse all the awful golf puns to come in this post...! :))
Some projects I'd like to accomplish between now and the 15th...
Project #1: A golf wreath
Okay, this one is actually well under way. I used an old grapevine wreath and cut up streamers (left over from Rory's birthday party!) for grass. I'm in the process of adding tees, golf balls and fabric letters. Total cost? NOTHING! Everything is upcycled!! :)
Project #2: Centerpieces with donuts acting as golf balls.
I finished these up the other day! I bought 2 glass vases (taller and round) from Pat Catans, a pack of moss and some ribbon. I upcycled more of Dave's old golf balls and more of the green streamers to decorate mine. Total cost? $20!! Plus, I can pull all the ribbon off and everything and use the vases for tons of stuff.
I need to make table cards for the food, make Trace's banner, make some golf flags, order the rest of the food...so many little things! Thank goodness the party is at my mom's. I don't have to clean that way. ;o)
I just can't believe Trace is almost one!! It's blowing my mind. He's got 2 teeth and 2 more on the way. He's walking a few steps at a time now, pestering his sister, refusing to say DaDa just to annoy Dave. Yesterday Dave took the kids to visit his parents while I was working. Dave's mom told him that Trace has the same personality Dave did when he was a baby. Laid back, relaxed and a little mischievous. I love that!
His theme is Golf, of course. We're calling it his first birthday "par-tee!" (Excuse all the awful golf puns to come in this post...! :))
Some projects I'd like to accomplish between now and the 15th...
Project #1: A golf wreath
Source: holidayhelpings.com via Kate on Pinterest
Okay, this one is actually well under way. I used an old grapevine wreath and cut up streamers (left over from Rory's birthday party!) for grass. I'm in the process of adding tees, golf balls and fabric letters. Total cost? NOTHING! Everything is upcycled!! :)
Project #2: Centerpieces with donuts acting as golf balls.
Source: frogprincepaperie.com via Kate on Pinterest
I finished these up the other day! I bought 2 glass vases (taller and round) from Pat Catans, a pack of moss and some ribbon. I upcycled more of Dave's old golf balls and more of the green streamers to decorate mine. Total cost? $20!! Plus, I can pull all the ribbon off and everything and use the vases for tons of stuff.
I need to make table cards for the food, make Trace's banner, make some golf flags, order the rest of the food...so many little things! Thank goodness the party is at my mom's. I don't have to clean that way. ;o)
I just can't believe Trace is almost one!! It's blowing my mind. He's got 2 teeth and 2 more on the way. He's walking a few steps at a time now, pestering his sister, refusing to say DaDa just to annoy Dave. Yesterday Dave took the kids to visit his parents while I was working. Dave's mom told him that Trace has the same personality Dave did when he was a baby. Laid back, relaxed and a little mischievous. I love that!