For Gina...

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For Gina, who asked...

"Janeen, what's up? No new posts?"

You're right... let me share my list of this weeks "To D0 List" with you...

1. My Niece Jackie who is my sister Melody's daughter, is getting married this fall and this weekend kicks off the first of her bridal showers, so I'm busy with that.

2. I am creating the games for the party

3. I made 2 batches of cookie dough last night that's chilling in the frig.

4. Tonight I am baking those cookies.

5. Tomorrow I am frosting those cookies so they can dry and be ready to bag in the evening.

6. Tonight I am finishing the assembly of the party favors.

7. This morning I made my children's ham sandwiches on hot dogs buns because I have no bread, therefore I need to go to the store to buy bread and other groceries.

8. Last week I started my Fresh Brewed Life Summer Book Club at church so there was a WHOLE lot of stuff to do in preparation for that; create folders, discussion materials, go to the Dollar Store and buy all the paper products needed, yada yada yada. God is good as it went great!

9. Brewed a pot of Mango Flavored tea but couldn't enjoy it because something else had to be done. So minutes ago I put it in a carry thermos to have ICED TEA in this HOT California weather!

10. Took the kids to the library to get their accounts straightened out, they both walked away with arm loads of books.

11. Tomorrow morning, I'm off to Melody's house to help set up her house for the party.

12. Call ladies who didn't make it to the book club last night and tell them I missed their smiling face and hope they didn't change their minds but understand completely if they did. Overall, I want them to know their sweet self's were missed by the group!

13. Need to get gas in my car.

14. Still trying to schedule a date with the PG girls... need a Rita, some chips and girlfriend time!

15. Get up at o-dark-thirty, make some coffee, grab my journal for the book club, go outside on the patio in the cool of the morning, light a candle and spend some uninterrupted time with my Jesus!

So that's what I have been and will be doing this week! I miss ya all but the great thing about bloggin' is that everybody is busy and no one takes it personal if you haven't been by in a week or so to comment. It's all good!

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Well ain't that something!

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My Beautiful Mother-in-Law who sent me this video (ya 'all are cracking me up so I'm going to clarify this here that the woman in the video is NOT my M-I-L. The woman is the actress from Gilligan's Island - Marianne) just shared this EASY way to peel a COOKED potato when making potato salad! Check out this 2 minute video here!

Wow, you learn something new everyday! I lurve it ~ What do you think?

UPDATE: I tried it and it works! We had bangers and mash Monday night - so easy now!

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Happy Friday - Schools Out!

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Last day of School! Yahoo!!

UPDATE: The kids were so excited today when I showed at up at the school to pick them up! Surprise! I'm always working but worked a half day instead to spend time with them and we had a great lunch together. It was sweet to see them say goodbye to their friends. Oh the highs and lows of the last day of school! As soon as we got home though they each went to the TV and have been chilling... ha ha

Well my Man just got home and we're off to go fishing until sunset!

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Need some tips

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My girl has REALLY gotten the bug to go to garage sales lately. Me, well not so much. I've only gone to a handful of them willingly and the last one was probably 5 years ago when I saw just what I was looking for and it was just down the street from me... an old, beat up, scratched up wooden vanity! Perfect for me who at the time had 2 very small children and needed something that I could sit down at in the mornings to get ready for the day and not worry if my baby boy would draw on it with a marker. I remember the lady who sold it to me for $25 said it would probably clean up pretty good with a little effort. I think I slayed her when I said it was perfect just the way it was... all beat up already. ha ha

*

For several years I have also been looking for a small 2 seater couch to put in front of my vanity too. I've used folding chairs, rocker chairs and now I have a old swivel living room chair that I use. Why a couch? Because everyone wants to sit in my chair! Either I'm getting ready and they want to get ready with me OR they want to snuggle up with their Mama OR because it's cozy watching TV in it too but when you've got 2 kids, someone else has to sit in the un-comfy plastic green chair. I know the years are quickly approaching when they won't want to snuggle up with Mama on the couch but even when they outgrow it, I'd still like the little couch there for myself! Recently my Boy asked me if I had given up on looking for a couch and I told him, No I hadn't but our years of budget lock down had stopped my searching because I didn't want a hand-me-down couch unless I KNEW the house where it came from. Someday it will come our way!

Anyway, back to garage sales... my Girl thinks that they are the greatest thing EVER and thinks that the $2.00 in her pocket is going to enable her to walk away with an amazing item. I told her I would take her a few times once summer arrived and so I'm asking my Veteran Garage Sale bloggy friends out there for any advice tips you can share with us!

Thank you in advance and have a great day!

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Swooning Amore'

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I'm swooning amore' with this new coffee creamer! Have you tried it yet?

I've been using the Creme Brulee flavor for about 2 years but my Man recently brought this home, its Coffee-Mat'se new special edition flavor ~ Nestle Coffee-Mate Sweet Italian Creme! Mmmmmm Right now it's only sold in the 16 ounce size but I sent a message requesting them to upgrade to the king size version!

And while I was there, I saw this recipe posted... oh you've got to try it too! It kind of reminded me of a Orange Julius but only better and EASY! Next on my list is a recipe they had for Coffee Cake using the powdered creamer, it got 5 star reviews!



Ingredients:
2 cups ice cubes 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup Italian Sweet Crème Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer

Instructions:
PLACE ice, orange juice and Coffee-mate in blender; cover. Blend at high speed until smooth. Serve immediately.

Memories

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In preparation for my upcoming summer book club, I was going through one of my journals recently and found this funny entry/memory from a 5 - years ago!

The time is Midnight:
(Isabella) Mom, I had a bad dream, can I sleep with you?
(Me) Yes, get in.

1 am:
(Isabella) Mom, I want to pick out my clothes today, okay?
(Me) Yes, that's fine.
(Isabella) But I still might need your help, will you help me?
(Me) Yes, that's fine.
(Isabella) Mom, Nate was mean to Jordan today, he kept pushing her baby doll.
(Me) Isabella, Go to sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning.

1:30 am:
(Isabella) Mom, How much money do you have?
(Me) Why?
(Isabella) We need $150 so I can ride a horse for an hour. But I don't want Grant to go, okay? Just me!
(Me) Isabella, go to sleep, we'll talk about it later.
(Isabella) But Mom, do we have enough money?
(Me) No, I only have $17.
(Isabella) Okay, Mom, we need $150, so can we save that?
(Me) Yes, let's try but that means you won't be able to buy anything on Bake Sale Friday's at school for awhile.
(Isabella) Hmm, okay, can I do a few Bake Sale Fridays and save for the horse?
(Me) Yes, now go to sleep.

2 am:
(Isabella) Mom, I have homework tomorrow!
(Me) Go to sleep, we'll talk about it tomorrow!

?? am:
(Isabella) Mom
(Me) (I'm not answering)
(Isabella) Mom, MOM!
(Me- annoyed) What?
(Isabella) I love you.
(Me) I love you too, now go to sleep!

3 am:
(Isabella) Mom, can you pick me up from car line tomorrow?
(Me) No, I have to go to work. I'll be picking you up at daycare like I always do. Now go to sleep!

3:15 am
Isabella get's up to go to the bathroom. Then from down the hall I hear Grant wake up and starts coughing. I get up and make sure he's alright. He seems fine and wants to come into my bed. Okay, that's fine. I tell Isabella to go back to her bed. Then I realize that he has wet through his diaper. So, I get him cleaned up and wipe him down and put clean clothes on him. I'm too tired to strip his crib with new sheets, so he is definitely coming into my room. Isabella gets up again to see what's going on. I'm frustrated at this point and I tell my Man who has been sleeping through all these hours of interuption, TO GET UP AND HELP ME! He's up and out of bed in 2 seconds and changing Grant's crib sheets.

3:30 am:
(Isabella walks back into my bedroom) Mom, you know what?
(Me) I know your gonna be in trouble if you don't go to sleep!
I get up and walk her back into her room.
(Isabella) Mom, will you lay down with me?
(Me) Yes.

Moments later...
(Isabella) Mom, my class is going to have Bake Sale this month.
(Me) Yes, I know, go to sleep!

3:50 am
My Man gets up for work and comes into Isabella's room to tell me what time it is.
(Me) GROWLING... Yes I know what time it is!!!!!

4am
I return to my bed and Grant is sleeping in it.

4:10 am
Grant starts to cough again and this time throws up in my bed!

Ah, we have a sick child! At last I KNOW that I won't be able to go back to sleep now!

5 am:
(Isabella) Mom, I'm going to go to sleep because the sun still won't come up and I don't want to wait for it anymore, okay?
(Me) That sounds like a good idea baby, I will wake you up for school.

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