Monday, November 30, 2009

Christmas Traditions!

I was reading Felicias, over at Go Graham Go!, blog and she had posted a thing called "Christmas Traditions", and I thought it sounded fun, and as we have a few "Degen" traditions, I figured I'd put them out there.
Every day after Thanksgiving, we head up one of the mountains nearby (usually Cedar) and brave the cold, we load up with sleds, snow-boards and other snow toys, and we hunt for the perfect Christmas Tree!
My husband will cut it down, and the boys will all drag it back out while the girls play in the snow (lol, including me). We tie it to the van when we're done taking pictures and playing, and off we go. We always stop somewhere for hot chocolate (or sometimes my in laws and family come along, in which case my mother-in-law, who is ever prepared, has hot chocolate on hand!).
It's the same every year (we missed this year though due to a BYU game. We're going next Saturday though)

We also, every Christmas day, head over to my mother-in-laws for a little breakfast tradition. She will make these things called "Ebberscebers", I can't ever get the spelling right on that! They're basically German type pancakes, rolled into a ball with something in the center. Like, bananas, cherries, or when they try to trick my husband - something awful. (One year I think it was soy sauce!)

There is always a competition on who can devour the most, my husband claims to hold the record at 35 (?), while my all time best is a whooping 6. They're really filling!

But I do love, love LOVE this time of year and cherish the traditions that we have, I know it will seem almost lonely when my kids are grown up and gone, so I will enjoy them while I can!

Now, to earn extra entries to the "Here comes Santa Claus" giveaways hosted by the ladies from Go Graham Go! and Jolly Mom, blog about your own Christmas traditions, and make sure to link back to those two (not mine) websites. Then go here and comment, with a link to your own post. You then gain 3 extra entries to any of their fabulous giveaways, as long as they're "Here comes Santa Claus" giveaways, by simply writing "Christmas Tradition" on your entry posts, 3 seperate times.
It doesn't get much easier than that!


Sunday, November 29, 2009

I thought I'd post a little something tonight as I enter my many, many giveaway oppotunities, which I love doing. I won something last night (Fabulous!) and I love that you can enter these giveaways and if you win, there's another great gift for someone, that I didn't have to buy. Mind you, I always read the reviews first, because even if it's something you like, you never know a "CON" that someone else may have. (Or a benefit). It always pays to get a few opinions before buying, so why not with a giveaway? Another thing I love is sometimes there's a giveaway that you absolutely adore, so you end up buying the item if you don't win.

Anyway ... I have a friend who is moving soon, but other than that, there's really no big news in my life, at the present (and touch wood, cos no news is good news ... right?)

Well, I'll turn in, just leaving alittle note to acomplish my 'don't-forget-to-post rule. :D

I WON!

I had to post something really quick before I head off to bed, but I was quickly shutting everything down on my computer and my Twitter name caught my eye and it was from 'My 2 Cents' on twitter (obviously not her twitter name) and it said the following
CONGRATS to @JDmalicious - you're the winner of the @Habitwise giveaway!!!! http://bit.ly/8nBWeH 
Thats right folks - I won something - and something fabulous too! You now have to absolutely follow this site as I've just proven to you cynical pessimists out there what a scam it isn't!
Thank you especially to the wonderful owner of the site "MY 2 CENTS"!!
I am so, so excited right now, I'm waking Craig up to let him know of my good fortune!


Another fine site!

I found a FANTASTIC site that has some amazing giveaways for Christmas. It was really thanks to 'For the Love of Chaos' that I found it, but it's called "5 Minutes for Mom" and they're twin sisters who are SAHM's. Well, they have awesome giveaways for this month, (check out their button to the right) This is their link : 'Christmas Giveaway' , thats actually for their 'How to post for the Christmas Giveaways' section, but they have their individual giveaways linked down below.
DO check them out, they have some great giveaways (including a very cute 'Jesus is the Gift' giveaway, I entered that about 1st I was so excited!)
If you don't blog, you can still gain an entry by spreading the word for a certain giveaway via Twitter or Facebook, but it's absolutely worthwhile. Check these ladies out!
p.s If you can't figure out what the "rules" are, email me, I know I had to read and re-read a few times to make sure I got it right!

They also have this thing called "Under the tree" which is gifts for families who are in need. I KNOW RIGHT!
Please read this page and what these ladies are trying to do, you may know of someone who needs help this Christmas, or let me know and I'll petition on your behalf. But it's definitely worthwhile and such a blessing!


Saturday, November 28, 2009

GREAT giveaway!

I don't usually blog about giveaways, or rather, a particular giveaway, but this is definitely worth it! So the site is called "For the love of 2 cents" (which is a mix of "My 2 Cents" and "For the Love of Chaos") & it's a new one I found today.
The giveaway is for a Samsung Touchscreen Camera, with a bunch of very cool features, all of which you can view here: Samsung Imaging this link will take you to the 'digital camera' part of the Samsung website, but browse around and look at all the things you want and drool over! The actual giveaway link is here: My 2 Cents! and be sure to check out all her cool giveaways, they're worth it! I would recommend email subscribing to this site, because it gives you more entry chances, also twitter follow her, (I would leave her twitter name here, but go get it from her website while you're there)
Oh - and You're Welcome for the tip :p

Lively Links

A few links to celebrate Christmas!

Heres on for a free christmas ornament. Just leave your information.

This is for a free printable personalized letter from Santa
and theres more here, although these aren't personalized. This is thanks to Freebieblogger.

This is another ornament for the NLEOMF (Law enforcement supporters)

enjoy!
So the infamous "Black Friday" has come & gone and if you were one of those brave enough (or desperate enough) to venture out, I commend you! I went. My husband decided to come with me, and I met up with one or two friends while out.
I did get all those door busters I wanted (the game from Old Navy, the candle votives from Tai Pan and even some great things from Krumpets!) I also really wanted the 'Elefun' game for my youngest, and while I missed it at the first Wal Mart (thanks in part to my husband who absolutely refused to get his head in the game and 'be aggresive', I still managed to procure it from the other Wal Mart here in town.
In fact, that was my 2nd stop, my friend and I went over there, leaving my husband to stand in line and purchase our goodies, but the line there was also horrendous, so we actually stashed the things we wanted and raced to another store. When we came back, the line was gone and we got our stuff! I recommend doing this next year if you're trying to get to three or four different stores!
So now there's nothing to do but wait for Christmas. And I love this time of year. The christmas carols, the holiday excitement, celebrating the birth of our Savior.
I play Christmas music all through the coming weeks until the Big Day. But - the classic Christmas songs. Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, The Andrew Sisters (email me for a full list. When I heard the songs from the movie 'Polar Express' I went nuts trying to find the original singers etc. Now I have the names and songs, so if you want it, let me know!)
I love decorating my house too. And thanks to my best friend, I have a TONNE of stuff to put out and get everything all Christmassy. It's great.
The one thing I do have a gripe about is the commercialization of Christmas. The 'what can I get' and the 'How much can I get's. It's not so much about giving anymore as getting, and that saddens me.
I like to dorrbell ditch people and leave gifts or cookies on their steps. This is something we try to do every Christmas. Or the 12 days of Christmas, where every day for 12 days you leave a piece of a nativity set on their doorstep and on the final day, you leave baby Jesus. We had it done to us one year, and I'll never forget how excited the kids and my husband and I were, how loved we felt and how amazed we were that someone would go to all that trouble for us! So we try and pull that off every year too.

This year, (again) I can't be with my family in New Zealand, and every year I miss them more. I remember Christmas' past where we would open our gifts and spend the day doing nothing but enjoying each others company, and around lunch time, afternoon, my Mum would make a roast with all the trimmings, and her homemade gravy, and we'd pig out until we felt sick and satisfied.
I took all that for granted, and when you don't have it anymore, it's pretty rough. My Mum started the tradition of filling our stockings (or bags, usually) with little gifts and setting them at the end of our bed. These were 'Santas' gifts. And we'd wake up, excited, aand open them up. I would always set my things out and take a picture, and my brother would do the same. Then we'd go and see what the other got. Then we'd go open the 'big' gifts. So I do that with my children now, and although that's not exactly the tradition my husband grew up with, as I don't get to see my family on Christmas, we do it every year.
Then we go to his Mums house and partake of 'Ebbelscebers'. I know I misspelt that, but its basically a german pancake type thing that you need a special pan to cook them on.
Every year there's a competition on who can eat the most. (He claims to hold the record). My best is 6, lol.
This year is our first Christmas in our new house, so I'm very excited. I'll post a pic when we get the house all prettied up. But to my family:



    MERRY CHRISTMAS!!




I miss you all.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Being from NZ, I'm still not a huge fan of Thanksgiving, but it does  have its benefits. I like having my husband home for the day (not so much the yelling at the football game on t.v, but beggars can't be choosers) The kids get a day off from school, and we all get to have a big family dinner. Almost a dress rehersal for Christmas dinner.
My husbands family have this cute game they like to play whenever the family gets togather called "Annie-I-Over", which is, in essence, two teams on either side of a house. Using a tennis ball, one team throws it over the house calling out "Annie i over", the other team then has to catch it and without saying anything, they all run around the house to the other side and try to hit someone on the other team with the ball. If you're hit, you switch sides. The winner is basically the last person standing. Our new house unfortunately doesn't have a nicely slanted roof like my mother inlaws, it's pretty flat. Which won't stop my husband from trying to rouse everyone into a game. Thats another thing I love about TG, the predictability. Knowing my husband will always try to do the usual 'thanksgiving' routine. Shooting in the morning, football in the afternoon, dinner then Annie.
Then the next day we all load up, drive to a nearby mountain & chop down our tree. My friend loveingly calls them "charlie brown trees". This year we're doing Black Friday (pray for us) so the tree will take a back seat until later on in the day, and even then, depending on our injuries, we may pass on it til Saturday.

So Jahmal brought a motorbike today, he worked (or is yet to actually DO the job) for the money and went and got it. (He owes his dad the money until he finishes his jobs) but its a cute wee bike, probably too fast, but fun enough to have a good time with.

I can't think of much more to add here, some GREAT freebies at another photo store, which I'll bring to you most likely tommorrow with the 'Lively Links'. Till then!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

FREE earrings

Ok, so it's rather late, I know I'll pay for this come tomorrow, BUT! I have another freebie. So, you go here which is a site called "Urban Original", they have teamed up with the magazine, Seventeen, to offer a giveaway, good from today (November, 24th, 2009) until January 2010 sometime, or until they run out of a FREE pair of gorge earrings! To claim them, in the spot that asks for a promo code, the code is "earrings"
I, of course have already procured myself a pair, I do actually like them, otherwise I would never have bothered. They're definitely my style, so if you like that (I see you rolling your eyes Katie!!) go ahead and grab yourself a pair. I also tried the redbox code : DLLNS26 and got a free movie (yay), only there wasn't much to pick from and I got kind of a dud (bleh). I won't post what the name of this horrific movie is, in case there's someone who liked it, although I would rather have chewed broken glass.
Anyway, time does trickle on, I better get to bed. Go try that link and check the redbox code. Oh! And wish me luck, my whole family is sick (well ... I guess only 2 people are actually sick, but it's only a matter of time!) so lets hope my lupus will stop me from getting sick. About the only thing it's bloody good for. Night!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Freebies at the mall

I wanted to post this little tidbit quickly tonight. On Friday and Saturday, local GGP Malls will be giving out a "Mistle-Tote" bag full of goodies! (While supplies last)
The freebie blogger, who can be found here  , posted this little gem, so go take advantage of this fabulous offer! I will definitely be there, and I'm pretty sure Red Cliffs Mall IS particpating, for those in the area. See you there!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Here comes Santa Claus!

DFCF-Washington inmate #200930 post #unknown

Oh, oh - I HAD to blog about this juicy tidbit from Jolly Mom and Go Graham Go!
Two blogger moms who have teamed up to bring you a very cool christmas party with lots of goodies and .. well heres a direct quote from Jolly Mom herself.
"We are kicking things off November 23rd and have some exciting giveaways for you. There's everything from holiday food, toys, jewelry and more!"
Sounds exciting huh? So I know theres a few of us who have to be tight on our money-purse strings this year - so why not go and enter a bunch of giveaways! It's free, fun annnnd Fabulous! So go, enter, have a good time, you don't want to be the one who misses out...

Giveaway sites, books & randomness ...

DFCF-Washington, "20 to life Mommy" ADC#200930, http://twentytolifeblog.blogspot.com , Ut. 84780

another quick post, just a few ideas for those of you who enjoy a good giveaway, the following blogs are worth a second look and a  follow ...

J. Leigh Designz, - Two of a Kind, working on a full house - Alicia's Reviews & Giveaways - EightyMPHmommy - a giveaway addicted mommy - Me and My boys! 

and of course, those are the links to the actual sites. Some giveaway sites have an annoying way about them, as in - I have my preferences when it comes to the entry details, and I find some sites are just ... well, annoying. I like my sites to be eye candy pleasing. Easy to navigate, (not that I'm a moron. I just think simplicity is the way to go) and these ladies with their sites definitely have it. 
They also have this interesting thing called 'Monday Mingle" <-- thats a link to EightyMPHmommy, and an explaination of what MM actually is and she's the one who apparently started the vlogging craze of Monday Mingle. I've been tempted to try it, but as I'm so new to this whole blogging thing, I think I'll wait until I've become more familiar with the territory. Until then , I'll watch :D
But please check out these sites, a good giveaway is a fun thing to participate in!

As an extra quick note, I also have to give props and shout outs to STLMommy, I recently received the book I won on one of her giveaways and am so excited to start reading it!
(I'm currently re-doing the 'Twilight' series again. A quick refresher to the movies) also, I'm halfway through "My sisters keeper" and that is turning into a must-finish! If you've read it, kudos for spotting that books potential!

a Slice of Sunday Afternoon Heaven!

I decided I'd get on today, mainly because we missed church (ARGHHH!!) <--- 2nd week in a row! So I find myself with an extra 3 hour block of time to fill. My husband is watching the Colts game (every now and then he makes an appearence so I know the commercials are on, then he disappears again and the yelling & whooping start again from the bedroom, indicating game time is in full swing)
The kids are doing various things around the house, trying to stay entertained without having to turn the tv on. This is something they are doing, to prove a point to ME. I made an innocent enough comment about how  they can't go through a whole day, let alone a few hours without their precious shows, something also about 'brains' and 'mush'. Which they all, vehemently denied, vowing to prove me wrong the first chance they got.

I have to admire them, their resolve hasn't wavered so far, they still have that intensity that only a child can have when absolving to prove a parent figure wrong.
Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the added benefit (because, really, how often is there NO T.V going on somewhere in a house?) of watching my kids intereact with one another.
The girls are making me print out more color-by-numbers than I ever want to see again, even the youngest (2) is joining in and having a ball scribbling and repeating random words she hears her sisters use.(She watches them so intensely, then, rather flippantly, tries to sound out a new word, no big deal. But everytime, her sisters, (and me, being invisible to this whole charade), coo cute noises of encouragement to her, to which she smiles brilliantly, and says the word again.) The last word which killed me was "Lellow".
My oldest son is reading. He's recently rediscovered his passion for books again, which I love, only his choice in material is somewhat dark. (Skeleton Creek??) But at least he's reading ... right?
My youngest son is going back and forth between watching football with his dad, and annoying the good HECK out of his sisters. I'll every now and then catch a "get OUT!! Leave us alone - you can't be over here! MOOOOOOM!" By the time I go to step in, he's long gone, a master at this game. He's caused an adequate enough upset, without having gone too far, in which case 'Mom' steps in and there's consequences.

And then there's me,  the silent observer in the background, appearing only when I'm needed, (or to change a diaper or two) other than that, I'm quite content to go about watching my family and taking notes, little mental pictures, of a Sunday afternoon in which my family is definitely a unit, but all doing their own thing.
And I ultimately think that's what mothers do. We have our families.  It's almost like, your children come along and that's your life for the next 20 years. Your job, to keep them in one piece, to fill them up with love, and values. To make sure that when you release them into the world as adults, they are the kind of people that make the world better, make others better. And you need 20 or so years for that, because it's so important, and it takes time to one, figure out how you're going to accomplish all that. And two, teach your children, while protecting them, defending them and keeping them safe.

Then when the kids are gone, and the dust settles, you find your mate again, and all the things that had to hibernate when the kids arrived, get to come out again. Travel, long, romantic weekends in bed, spur of the moment decisions. Interrupted only by phonecalls from frantic new parents asking the 'hows', 'what' and 'wheres' of unfamiliar ground, and that I think, is also an everlasting benefit or reward from surviving parenthood the first time around. It's such a slice of heaven that you get to experience bits n pieces of it through your children and grandchildren. Only, you're calmer, more familiar with the territory, so you can relax, and experience it as one long mental picture!


As I was about to close this out, my darling youngest came over to me, tears in her eyes and a dropped lip to rival any actress, she looked solemnly at me and said 'Owie Mommy', holding her little finger up.
I am a firm believer that when you're a mom, and you have your baby, until that child is about 3 or 4, (walking, talking clearly, discovered independence) you share an invisible link. I can read her expressions three or four steps before she's even registered anything on her face. And vice versa. She can read me like a book. I hadn't even begun to sympathize with her and she knew right what I was going to say and do. Her whole face relaxed, she clambered onto my lap, snuggled into my chest (after receiving the expected, and rightly so, kisses and lamentations to the injury) happy, snug and safe. It breaks my heart that I can bring such a  sense of peace to someone so precious.

And as said precious is sitting in my lap (and thanks to Lord of the Rings, I can never really say or think the word 'Precious' without hissing it just like Gollum. Thank you Peter Jackson!) I'm finishing this post up. I hope it made sense, I have a wonderful way of expecting everyone else to understand my ramblings, lol. So, my apologies if I sound a few nuts short of a squirrel dinner.
Til we meet again. xx

                                                          The color-by-number art pieces!

                                                 Beautiful work, don't you think?

Feeling not so flowery

I decided I wasn't feeling my template at all, although if you want to enter a giveaway for a specialized template, click this link, HERE
Jennifers blog, J. Leigh Designz, is a definite must-follow. She has great giveways, a decent sense of humor, and this particular giveaway is a whole new blog layout from Starlite Web Designs. I've entered, because I could use an attractive new layout, a nice looking place to hold my ramblings, recommendations and general chit chat. I bet if I tried really hard, I could make one, but why bother when you have talented people who don't charge much at all (check out the price range of Starlite - it's almost like your robbing them, the prices are so cheap!) So I'm thinking I'll get Craig to buy a package for me for Christmas - that's if I don't win. My fingers are crossed! So, since I have some time tonight, I decided to do my Lively Links! which for those of you who don't know is basically my 'one-stop-for-all' the links that are definitely worth your time and effort to click on. Some are to great giveaway sites, others are actual freebies, and still others are just great deals I think are worth bringing to you. So without further ado!

Free Skin Care Pack this is a link to 'Share your concept' who are introducing a new lin of skincare.
Garnier Renew Eye Cream   is a sample offered graciously by WalMart, who now and then have fabulous free samples!
Pond's Rujuveness Sample this is a sample from 'VivaMejor.com', which is a site I'm unfamiliar with, but fill the form out & your sample is on it's way!
Free Blockbuster Rental Express Kiosk for this freebie, it's a code for Blockbuster Express Kiosks, as there isn't one available where I live,  I don't know that this will absolutely work. Enter : PUBLIX3 & then PUBLIX4 for 2 free dvd's. This code will expire 12/20/09
SeeHere 50 free cards this is a GREAT offer, available thanks to freebies4mom which is another really cool site, I recommend you follow her as she finds amazing deals! This is a code valid until the 30th of this month, so you better hurry in! It's valid for the 5x7, or 4x8 cards (some codes work sometimes, for different sizes, you may have to chop & change until you find what works! For me, I received my cards, they're beautiful, and well worth it) You have to sign up for SeeHere, and upon checkout enter the code: freebies4mom-1109 another code that works is "newbaby" although I'm fairly certain you will have to pay s&h, which is around $3.00. A fantastic deal!

And that's the Lively Links! for today, I hope they all work for you. Also, as I said about 'freebies4mom', thats a great site - so is 'J. Leigh Designz' in fact, this site is one of my personal favorites, so again, I encourage you to google friend follow her, email subscribe and Facebook or Twitter her.
Also, if you want to Facebook me, go here, and Twitter, here.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

New Moon update

Ok, so I took longer than I thought I would, a few things came up here at home so I wasn't able to do this before now. By now, I'm sure most of you have already seen 'New Moon' and have formed your own opinions on it, I had the chance to see the midnight showing of it (with the free tees, looooong line, and Mary Kay in the Lobby pushing their new line of "Bella", "Jacob" and "Edward") which I personally think is going alittle far in regards to 'Twilight mania'. (Although 'Bella' did smell nice)
Well!
I have to say, I thought the director in this movie did really well at making Bella appear beautiful. I'm not too much of a Kristin Stewart fan (don't get me wrong, she IS talented, and has her own unique brand of acting style) but she isn't, in my eyes at least, gorgeous. She has a square chin, which is prominent and in the movie that wasn't the main focus every time she appeared onscreen. She looked amazing!
When Jacob first appears onscreen, of course there were the catcalls and whistles (he did look buff, I'll give him that) I think his acting as Jacob is what sets him apart. He has the very essence of the character down pat! And good looks aside, he's fabulous as Jacob.
The movie dragged in a few places, BUT - it stayed true to the book, hence, it HAD to drag in those places, so the audience could get a feel for the intensity of the moment.
Although, in all fairness, I think it only drags if you've read the book and understand already the relationships and how they play out. And I had my favorite 'couples' too. As in, the whole time I read 'New Moon' I thought - "No, no. She's meant to be with Edward - Jacobs nice. But she's EDWARDS soulmate, not his!" So of course., knowing what's going to happen can be a downfall and take some of the pleasure out of the movie.
I thought Chris Weitz (director) did a fabulous job at getting across to viewers the relationship between Bella and Edward, in that - when he leaves, she literally almost dies. (Doesn't that just k you?? I wish for a love that intense!) They're so connected to each other. While she strikes up a 'closer' relationship with Jacob, she's never "over" Edward, and the movie did a wonderful job of portraying that Bella never loses that love for Edward. Or that she, very literally, is connected to Edward in a way that she could never truely give herself to anyone other than him.
A few things were added into the movie, but it made for a more entertaining watch. And WOW I LOVED Dakota Fanning in the role of Jayne! She did a fantastic job for the 4 minutes she was in the movie.
I thought the  wolves were made to look very menacing, which they would have to be to be able to fight and/or kill vampires. Although when the black wolf first makes an appearence (it's Sam) it does look alittle cheesy, but the rest of the movie, the effects look more believable.
The humor seemed, to me, almost obvious, but it was still endearing and natural.
I especially loved the 'Volturi' family characters, Aros was made to seem very much like he is in the book - or at least as I interpreted him. Playful, deadly and arrogant. Great job there too.
All in all, the movie was awesome! Definitly lived up to it's predecessor in all respects, I will be going to see it again, and I'm starting to think that even though 'New Moon' is by all accounts the 'slowest' book of them all, this movie - from the 2 that have been released, is my favorite so far. I can't wait for the DVD!

(And to my best friend in the whole world who didn't get to see it with me, I'm so sorry. You, me - the next movie. Promise xx) Also, this post is done with no spell checking as my comp. is running unaturally slow (makes me think I have a trojan somewhere, or someone has hacked my computer!) So I don't have the time or paitence to run through this and make sure it's spelt correctly. I apologise. In summation, GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It's a must-see if you've read the books, and if not - watch the movie first, then read the books. I think you'll honestly get a better feel that way.
Also - (for a certain someone who asked and I couldn't answer) it's Alice. My fav. character is Alice.
Life imitates art, don't you think?

Thursday, November 19, 2009

a good seat for 'New Moon'?

Ok, so I, like alot of you out there, have my golden ticket to see the midnight showing of 'New Moon', the 2nd book in the Twilight saga. I'm going with my lovely sister in law who was kind enough to procure a ticket for me weeks ago, while I was just starting to clue into the fact that there was even a rush to GET these tickets! (Thank you Donna)
I had also told my best friend that we would go together (as she was the guilty party who got me interested in the series in the first place) luckily she got her ticket (after hearing I had mine).
Now, here's the thing that has me writing today (because I will be writing again tonight with, hopefully, a glowing report, NO spoilers!!, on my movie experience) I call D this morning to set up a time and meeting place, as you do when you have plans with someone, and she informs me that PEOPLE ARE ALREADY LINING UP TO GET A GOOD SEAT!
Are you KIDDING me?! I mean, I like a good seat as much as the next person, but who in their right mind is going to wait a good 12-15 HOURS to get a seat?! I'm assuming I'm not the 'Twilight' fan I thought I was. I can't actually think of any movie I would line up that early, just to get a seat for!
And now I'm alittle nervous. What happens if some sort of mistake has been made, and we get there, and they accidentally oversold tickets? Or, I get there, and all thats left is 'standing room', do they even do that with movies?
So now we've decided to meet early, not too early, but early enough, my husband gave me his "Are you serious?" look, when I informed him on his lunch break.  I now have to entrust my oldest with the delicate task of watching the kids for an hour, til my beloved gets off work.
So of course, now I feel like one of those mothers who abandons her kids to go running off for selfish reasons! All this inner dilemma for a movie.
Although, if truth be told, I am still very excited to see New Moon, hoping they stay true to the book, and while it's a new director, I also hope they do a good job, and it isn't like watching a completely different movie! So, I will update this when I get home, or if I find I can't think straight and need to catch some zzz's, first thing tommorrow!
For those of you who have their ticket also, good luck to you in your attempts to get a "good seat"!

'New Moon trailer'

Monday, November 16, 2009

Interesting take on survival

I was reading this magazine that my husband subscribes too (I can't remember the name) and it had this article in it about "Being prepared in the Face of Disaster" and what the human nature is capable of when you're IN a scary situation. I was hoping for some examples on HOW to be prepared, but it had stories of real-life situations and heroic actions that those people took. I did take some interesting things from it though, the author was citing doctors opinions on the brain snd the human bodies reaction to 'fear'. It was saying if you can mentally prepare yourself it braces the brain for the impact of dealing with the situation. For example a man caught in a snow storm managed to survive for 14 days with a gallon of water (he eventually was forced to find a water source, which he did on day 5) He was stuck in his car, which was practically buried, and BECAUSE he was "mentally" prepared and didn't let the fear engulf him, his body was able to sustain him to survive the position he was in, until the rescuers found him. Another man got caught in a tornado WITH boy scouts (children! can you imagine?) and after the winds died down, he got the boys motivated  to help the injured (4 boys sustained massive injuries, which killed them), he kept the boys calm, focused and their mind off the horrific situation they were dealing with.
So it goes to show, if you can prepare yourself mentally, you can survive anything. Cutting this short, but I had to stop in to leave this tidbit. :)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Lively Links 11/16

Lively Links

free Mocks Twister follow the Facebook instructions to get this cute little treat.

free Thanksgiving eBook you'll have to click the popup page that appears (top left hand corner) then download this great seasonal eBook!

Christmas Open House giveaway this is from a GREAT blog, "Audrey's Country Crafts", which I personally love, and this is a great giveaway. There's alot involved in the entries, but it's a fun one too!

free Empress Hair Care Sample this is a great hair care product, that I personally love. Click here for your free sample!

free Signature Scent Sample this is a great one, you can sign up with different email address to grab more than one sample! My personal favorite, "Sandalwood". hmmmm

Target Tote Bag filled with Samples This is an offer redeemable when you sign up on Target's Baby Registry.

Kodak Gallery $15 gift This ends soon (11/18) so hurry over there, sign up and recieve your FREE $15.00 credit, redeemable when you checkout, although it should be noted that when I tried this, the gift code didn't cover my shipping costs.

*** If you have any trouble viewing these samples (giveaways, other than Audrey's will be tommorrows post) they most likely have expired.

I can smell a freebie!

So last night I got home at some awful hour, (luckily my husband had the kids in bed and since they weren't with me, I was able to stay out late, although I think I would have rather been snug in bed than where I was, but such is life!) Anyway, as I got in and was thinking of all I had to do today, I had the thought that if only there was someone who could post the great giveaways and freebie links in ONE spot, so I could get to bed sooner, and then it hit me! I might as well do the pack horse work and post it all here. SO! I'm starting today posting the freebies and really good giveaways (and since I have a refined palette, I'm sure they'll meet with your approval)

On another quick note, this blog thing has paid off somewhat already - even WITH no followers. I've managed to meet a few other moms who go through the same day to day homework trials, timetable trials and (lol - you Kari) clothing trials! I love being able to send one or two emails to a few select moms with questions, concerns or even ... gossip. (I know, I'm human) It's very satisfying, and brightens the day :D
Ok, so heres todays 'Lively Links', and on a sidenote, I'm thinking of changing my blog style YET AGAIN, because the flower thing is alittle too bright for my liking. On to the good stuff!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

From the mouths of babes ...

Today I was driving home with my 8 yr old Aliya, and she allowed me some insight into why I think she will grow up to be not only a smart mom, but a caring, attentive mom.
Talk radio was on in the background (it usually is), I think it was Hannity, something was being said about Obama taking a holiday and his decision regarding the troops in Afghanistan was being delayed, yet again. There was silence for a few seconds then she quietly spoke saying "I think Obama needs to think about the soldiers families instead of going on holiday with his one. In fact, I don't think I want to live in a country where the President leads by thinking of himself and not the people he's supposed to look out for,"
It brought tears to my eyes that my child had more sense of 'what's right', than older, more experienced men do, who are in charge of running a country.
That started a discussion about how to lead, what traits he should be showing, and the consequences that will stem from his decisions. When I was 8, the last thing I was worrying about was how my country was being run! Kids seem to get old so fast these days ...


Today I also had the pleasure of going over to see an old friend I hadn't seen for a few months (and before that it had been years) They had moved back from NC, where they had moved too a few years back, brought a home, and fixed it up and are doing wonderfully for themselves. So naturally I was jealous. There's so much I want to do to my house RIGHT NOW, instead of WHEN IT'S FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE. 
And I live in an area where super moms are a whole separate species. I mean, they're amazing! I will find a cute craft, follow the directions to the letter, and my finished product turns into a 'what not to do' version of what I started out making. (I also have mismatched furniture, but that's another story. I call it my 'shabby-chic' look, because 'bits n pieces' doesn't have the same ring)


So lately I've started following a thing I dubbed 'The Blogger Mommies'. It's alot of fun, bordering on obsession, but I've actually won a few things from them. (If you're not sure how to do it, email me, I'll give you the low down) There is no bigger thrill than getting something for nothing. I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I won my first giveaway, went around telling everyone and their dog, I claimed my full bragging rights. I managed to convince my friend Katie to try them out and she is now hooked. With dial up no less. (Higher broadband is not available in her area.) 
The only downside is you start to check your email every 30 seconds, hoping another new post will come through, or you'll see those magic words "You won!" It's a physical smack in the stomach when you check and the giveaway is finished, and you came out emptyhanded.
But I have to hand it to the blogger moms, they have to spend an enormous amount of time concentrating on their blogs and keeping track of who won what, send this to them, review this and that. I don't know if I could do it. Although I AM almost tempted to give it a shot, who knows?


So, my 14 year old son has a girlfriend now. And I don't know what to think. He got his first kiss, but now it leaves me wondering, where is there to go but down ..? (No pun intended!) And then I think back to "those days", the excitement at seeing your puppy love. Interpreting every hand guesture, look or smile. Waiting for a note or present. Stolen moments together. Then I remember the heartbreak. The jealousies, the friends-of-theirs that turn on you because your no longer an item. The rumors, the anger and the pain. I don't want that for any of my kids, and I sure don't want to deal with any of it now. It was only yesterday he was learning how to say "Mum" and "ba-ba". Now he's kissing girls and asking for girl advice? And it's awful to say, but when the breakup does inevitably come, I know I will dislike this girl vehemently for being the (first) girl who broke my little boys heart. The only thing I really know how to do is to make sure there's lots of ice cream ready. 
(Does it work that way with boys??)




Well, I'll wrap up my first post, to anyone who bothered to read it (I'm flattered) and "Mum, I'll talk to you soon".
Arohanui, Joe.


Here's a picture of my adorable kids on Halloween. The tall
gangsta is the one who fell in love.                                  


 
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