Rudy Family Rukus~Parenting tips and humor meet in one big "rukus"

While I'm at it.....

2011-12-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Since I'm on here I suppose I could post the awesome pictures that Wendy took of us. I think we got some great shots to include in our Christmas Cards. Thanks Wendy we LOVE them all!

Something I just have to Share!

2011-12-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

I went to a party months ago and discovered this really fabulous dip. My lovely friend Suzie was gracious enough to share it with me and since I have had a MILLION requests for the recipe I am sharing it here mostly because I am too lazy to email everyone that has asked.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 jar Marzetti's blue cheese or ranch dressing
1/4 cup Nance's buffalo wing sauce (mild)
1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese softened
Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot sauce (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Boil chicken until tender (let cool), then shred or chop finely.
2. Mix together dressing and buffalo sauce.
3. Use hot sauce to fire it up to your desire.
4. Spread cream cheese in a 9x13 baking dish.
5. Mix chicken into dressing/buffalo sauce mixture.
6. Pour chicken/dressing/buffalo sauce mixture evenly over cream cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (Sprinkle a layer of the shredded cheese on the top and cook for the last three minutes if desired.)
8. Let cool and serve with celery sticks, chicken-flavored crackers, Tostitos Dips tortilla chips, etc.

I like to use Litehouse lite blue cheese dressing it makes me feel like I am saving some calories (I'm laughing even typing that) I also couldn't find that brand of buffalo wing sauce so I use TexasPete Buffalo Wing Sauce and I of course found that at Walmart. One time I served it with homemade french bread cut into small pieces that was a really big hit too!

Sorry no picture it just doesn't photograph well.

Wordless Wednesday~Dirty Dash

2011-09-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday~Love the Beach

2011-08-17T10:52:00.000-06:00

Mother of the Year

2011-08-16T21:58:00.000-06:00

So I have been trying to be "Mother of the Year" and therefore I have apparently fallen off the face of the blogging world... ahem....
We've been up to a lot around here over the past few months and our summer got stretched out this year because we start "traditional school" instead of my favorite "year round"! Oh well I am going with the "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" motto.... again trying for Mother of the Year.
Here are some great photos taken by the ever lovely Wendy Atkins. She did a fantastic job as always!

Wish I could take credit for these fabulous pictures. I will however take credit for the materials(aka my children) in the photos.
Oh and Mama Kat this is for you!

Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2011-05-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is a new family favorite. We have been enjoying them fresh a LOT. A lot more than I care to admit. I was thrilled to discover that once baked they also freeze beautifully. I sadly cannot take credit for the original recipe but I made some alterations that I will take credit for.

Cinnamon Filling

2 cups warm water 1 cube butter (melted)

2 packages dry yeast (2 T.) 3 tablespoons cinnamon

2/3 cup oil 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

6 cups flour

Soften yeast in warm water then add eggs, oil, salt and sugar and mix well. Add flour and mix well knead until smooth and elastic. It will still be a little sticky. (I use my kitchen aid mixer for the entire process with great success).

Let dough rise until double and then roll on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Spread melted butter over dough and then sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar (mixed together) over entire surface. Then start with the widest end and roll up tight. Slice in 1 inch rolls and place on greased cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Makes about 18-20 rolls. Let rise until double. Then bake at 350 degrees until done. I use a convection oven and it takes about 15-20 minutes.

Let cool for about 10 minutes then frost.

I use a cream cheese frosting

1 package cream cheese

1 cube butter

about 1 bag of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

milk to smooth thick consistency

They are delicious and like I stated before they can also be frozen and enjoyed later. I froze them frosting and all with great results I just thawed and warmed in the microwave.

Here is a sneak peek of what they look like rising. To see the finished product you can visit my silly Vlog and see how delicious they truly appear!!

(I know this isn't a great shot I took it with my camera to entice my husband home one day teehee!) It totally worked!!!

Never Boring Here in the Spring

2011-05-05T19:00:00.000-06:00

Well this past month has truly flown by. We have had terrible cold spring weather. I have pictures to prove it. I ran the Salt Lake Half Marathon on April 16th if you are my friend on facebook you already know all the details but just to summarize I finished in under two hours which was my goal. I am now doing the Insanity workouts (which means I am actually INSANE) working on my speed and endurance for my next race. I will let you know how that turns out. I would type more about that but my arms are too sore.....
On to the pictures!

This is not from January it is from April not even joking. We also had a very similar storm to this last weekend! Gotta love spring in Utah!

Then we had a few decent days I figured I should break out the camera for some good weather shots!

We spent Easter in Price with cousins and Grandma and Grandpa.....it snowed then too..... Are you sensing a theme here? It snows here in the spring. I know it could be worse I am not complaining okay I am complaining a little but really I am just sayin'!

My Easter pictures turn out the same every year. Half crazed! I think it is the silly kids I am working with.....

Seriously what are they looking at? Love these crazy kids!

Wordless Wednesday~Close Up

2011-05-04T12:55:00.000-06:00

A Small Glimpse of Spring

2011-04-01T19:55:00.000-06:00

We went to Gardner Village today to feed the ducks. The three here were the only ones there. And there were about 6000 kids throwing bread. It was pretty comedic anyway I thought so. I haven't had the camera out in a WHILE obviously but I think I got some great shots!

Linking up with Lolli over at Better in Bulk.

A Little Surprised

2011-03-17T18:32:00.000-06:00

I was a little surprised to see my blog is still here. I mean I haven't even looked at it in almost 2 months. I was alarmed that I haven't posted since January. Oops! Time has gotten away from me. I am busy training for my second half marathon. I am doing the Salt Lake City half on April 16th. I know you will all mark your calendars;) because well you love me right.... and want to cheer me on.
In all seriousness I just passed my 3rd bloggiversary. I think that makes me OLD in the blog world. I should try to stick it out right??
Well here are some pictures of my kiddos playing in St. George last month. I know that is why you all visit anyway haha! Happy St. Patrick's Day and hopefully I will post more frequently!

Sister Photo Shoot

2011-01-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

My girls LOVE the camera and the other night they wanted me to snap away so I did... Here's a few of my favorites

Not my finest work but the lighting in my kitchen is terrible at night! That's ok I still think they are pretty cute silly little girls!

Hair Potion from your kitchen

2011-01-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you know we have LOTS of hair at our house. It is long and curly and beautiful (if I do say so myself). But it requires a LOT of work. Lots of conditioning and combing out and wetting it down and trying to tame the wildness that abounds each time the weather changes.

I finally found products that work great. Mixed Chicks is amazing but we still battle dryness in the cold, cold winter.
So when I happened to watch a random episode of The Doctors I was thrilled they were talking about things like dry hair and skin etc.....
I whipped up the dry hair potion and tried it on both girls.

It is just olive oil, 1/2 a banana, 1/2 an avocado, and an egg. I painted it on their hair with a pastry brush and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then I just shampooed and conditioned as normal. I didn't notice a huge difference after one treatment but I plan to do this easy treatment once a week. Who knew you could get beautiful hair from your kitchen!

What are your beauty secrets?

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2011-01-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Temple Square with our cousins in December.

Your True Identity

2011-01-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

I was preparing my lesson for Young Women's today and I found this video that I really wanted to share. I hope it touches you as it did me.

Got Milk?

2011-01-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to feed my children more balanced meals I added milk to Kayton's lunch the other day and I loved that she was WAY cuter than any of those other "Got Milk" ads so I thought I would post my own!

Worst Blogger Ever!

2011-01-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

If there were an award for worst blogger ever I think that I should be nominated. Well as it goes in the blogging world I suppose I could just nominate myself and if I was a really good blogger I could even make my own button but alas I am the worst blogger ever so I cannot make my own button. Just in case anyone still checks my blog I will post a little year end review (which will mainly include a review of what has been going on the past few months around here)

We went to a few football games....

We went to Las Vegas with children in the rain.... what were we thinking??

I went to Notre Dame it was beautiful and old and it rained there too!

We got three new cousins this year.....

I just realized why I quit blogging my computer is slow and I get so frustrated I just want to break things which I found counterproductive!

I digress......

We wrote letters to Santa

Some of us tried to learn how to drive.....

I will admit that 2010 was a great year. Jeff and I lost almost 100 pounds (combined). We are very blessed and count those blessings each and everyday. I know 2011 will bring challenges and smiles and I look forward to each and every one!

Happy New Year Everyone!

A Baby Story #3

2010-11-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

Seriously I survived I did but I wasn't sure that I would. I wasn't planning on a natural birth, I didn't want it that way. I wanted pain relief and that was my PLAN. I have since learned that my plans are never the PLAN. What I do know is that I did survive and my child survived and I even went on to have 2 more babies (un-naturally with successful epidurals). The mind has a way of forgetting. Thank goodness!! And now I am so blessed to be the mother to this handsome little man. Happy Birthday Dalton. It was all worth it and I wouldn't trade it for anything! I hope you have a fantastic day today! Love you!

A Baby Story #2

2010-11-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

I have never been an early riser I don't care to know what the sun looks like coming up really. Okay well that is a lie now but back then 8 years ago today I didn't get up early for anyone. (I clearly had much to learn) But I did today. Oh yes because I was awaken by the oddest pain I had ever felt. It was different, it was new and it HURT. At first I was annoyed but then I realized what was going on. I got excited... another naive assumption on my part. The pains weren't so painful I couldn't function but I could tell they had a mission, the mission I had longed for the previous day my actual due date. I tried to rest for I knew that what was coming would not be easy. I was too scared to sleep for too long. We walked, we went to Home Depot (I don't know why but I know we did) I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and then we went on shopping and waiting and waiting and waiting..... and then about 8 pm it was more than i could take. We called the hospital and got the okay to head on over. I grabbed my bags packed with my visualization tools (which I knew I wasn't going to use). My plan was for an epidural and a good one! I wanted to enjoy this experience as much as possible.

We arrived at the hospital and I remember the bad news.... I wasn't close enough to admit but they didn't want to send me home because I had been in labor for over 12 hours at this point. So we walked some more. I put layers of hospital gowns on and we walked around and around and around and then it hit me this is going to kill me. We were in the stair well climbing back up to the labor floor and I stopped and just cried. It was more than I could take I was hoping I was getting close now....

I was right things were going the right direction (that would be down) and so now for the epidural the relaxation and just wait for the baby to come.....

By this point the contractions were so strong that I was not doing well at all. My husband was starting to panic and the epidural could not get in place fast enough. Problem was I hadn't been drinking any water all day so I was dehydrated and they couldn't get an IV in. Finally after 2 nurses were unsuccessful the anesthesiologist got an IV in and we were on our way.... but unfortunately for me my epidural only lasted for 45 minutes. That's right it was working but then it stopped and then the torture began....

To be continued....

What was your first experience with labor like?

A Baby Story

2010-11-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today I was expecting to become a mom. I was ready, the baby was done, and the due date had arrived. As a naive first time mom I figured that my body just knew that on the designated due date it would do what nature intended. That meant get the baby OUT! I was ready I had cleaned everything in site, mopped the floor on my hands and knees, pregnant belly dragging, organized the pantry twice cleaned all the showers and tubs and had the room prepped and ready for a baby. And yet NOTHING..... absolutely NOTHING. I was extremely disappointed to say the least. I resulted to a few methods that proved awful.... castor oil is no good for anything as far as I am concerned except maybe greasing a squeaky hinge.

So I waited impatiently. I must have been unbearable to live with. I can only imagine. My sweet husband was at the end of a football season which I can't even recall. I do know he was coaching at a Junior College that is all! I am pretty sure this was the longest day of my life. Little did I know.....
To be continued.....

How did you feel when expecting your first baby?

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T08:22:00.000-06:00

Better late than never right? We had fun trick-or-treating in the rain... but the most fun was handing out the candy while I watched the football game. I am pretty sure they had more fun handing out candy than getting candy. (thank-goodness!! because it was a down pour during prime trick-or-treating time!)

Happy Halloween and some other stuff...

2010-10-29T13:41:00.001-06:00

As I signed into my google account and opened my blog I was afraid it might crash and burn it has been soooo long. I just don't have the time I used to for blogging. I regret it has fallen by the way-side. I miss it. I miss my bloggy friends. One day I believe I will have more time so I will try to keep posting and keep updating and commenting.
Much has been going on around here. Our team is doing very well. Go Utes!!! We had family pictures last week, they turned out fabulous thanks to one of our favorite people Wendy. You can see more pictures from the shoot on her blog but here is a sneak peak of her fantastic work!

The fall colors were amazing!
We have been celebrating Halloween for a few weeks now and between church, school, dance, and the actual holiday I think we will have worn our costumes (by we I mean my children) 4 or 5 times. Makes it totally worth it right! I am not looking forward to the sugar high over the next few days but may the force be with us all!
Have a fantastic Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday~Ghosts and Goblins

2010-10-13T08:50:00.000-06:00

Okay so really just kids with vampire teeth but you get the idea. We are ready for Halloween! How about you??

Missing In Action...

2010-10-08T13:48:00.000-06:00

I have not disappeared I promise. I just haven't been inspired. I really have no good excuses I just needed a break you all understand that I am sure. So here are some pictures of what's been going on and what I have gotten myself into....

I admit I am biased but this is quite a handsome group and really for being taken at Carl's Jr. I think it turned out better than expected considering that these are some of the other poses I captured...

The 3 year olds are inspecting smiles, by this time the baby has been disturbed, and there is a general sense of "When are we going to get our food?" And I love the parking lot backdrop don't you?

We have also been to several flag football games. The last game was played mostly in the dark with no lights. That made for some interesting flag pulling.

We were also very busy welcoming this lovely new cousin to our family. She is adorable. We can't wait to hold her again. You can see more of her over here.
My other ventures include some charity work see the Wasatch Front Childhelp website created by the lovely Emily from Is This REALLY my life? It is all very exciting and I can't wait to tell you all about our first event.
I promise to be around more and have a lovely weekend!!

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #12~Donate

2010-09-21T23:06:00.000-06:00

I can't believe we are finished. I actually did it. I kicked my budgets behind and I survived. I learned some things I didn't know before. I reactivated my desire to coupon and save money. I realized that not only can I save money but I can also live greener and teach my kids great habits as well. We are eating more healthy and here at home.
We did eat out today but it was a special occasion. We met our "daddy" for lunch. I was thrilled that the restaurant we chose was having a buy a fortune cookie for $2 and get the chance to donate to St. Jude's Hospital (Children's Cancer) and possibly get your meal for free. That fit perfectly with the challenge for this week to give back or donate. Knowing that donating on a budget is absolutely doable makes me very happy. So I gave the server my $2 and picked a fortune cookie and you will never guess what it said! No I didn't get my meal for free it said....

Did my fortune read my post from yesterday?? Must have. Anyway I was happy to donate and will continue to do so. Knowing I am saving money in other ways makes it so much easier for me to donate and give back to my church and my community.
Check out Clair at Mummy Deals she is having an awesome giveaway with this challenge sponsored by Peter Pan Peanut Butter. They sent me some PB for participating this week. It is the yummiest I have had in a LONG time and it was low cal!! I was thrilled about that too!
As always check out our facebook fanpage to see what everyone else is up to. Check out my other Budget BootCamp Posts to see how I got my budget in shape over the past 12 weeks.

Get It In Gear

2010-09-20T23:07:00.000-06:00

Pretty sure I am the worst blogger ever lately. I am having a difficult time getting any computer time. It might have something to do with the illness we have had for the past two weeks. I mentioned it last week in my brief posts. I am so angry about the entire situation I can't discuss it right now..... I digress. Or it could have something to do with the organization book I am reading that doesn't include blogging time or I haven't gotten to that chapter yet. Or it might be that my kids are off track and I am trying to enjoy every moment we have left of this gorgeous weather before we have to hibernate for the winter..... I could go on. Here are some things we have been doing...

First day of preschool

Dance classes

(oh and playing with the editing tool on Photobucket)

Flag Football

And of course enjoying the last HOT day of the year by cooling off in the pool. I promise to be better about posting and commenting I do love blogging and all my fantastic bloggy friends I hope you will forgive me for being such a slacker but really my kids come first and I know you all understand that!

Wordless Wednesday~Train Ride

2010-09-15T16:55:00.000-06:00

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #11~Rolling Rewards

2010-09-15T16:48:00.000-06:00

I am a little slow getting this up this week. We have been suffering from strep again..... More on this later this week.
The challenge this week was "rolling rewards". You can read more about the challenge over at In Good Cents. Something I found very tricky when I first started but now I am a pro--haha! Actually my favorite place to get rolling rewards is Target. They have great sales that offer a $5 gift card when you buy certain items. This week Target had a few items on this deal that I needed. For example Downey was buy two get a $5 gift card. So I had 4 coupons (because I get 4 Sunday papers) they were for $1.50/1 from the P&G insert and so I got 2 $5 gift cards. I shopped this sale the last time and my supply lasted until they went on sale again. Hooray! I am far from getting my stuff for free but I love having those gift cards to use on my next trip.
I also try to shop the sales at Smiths that are buy "x" amount of items get $$ back instantly which saves me a lot on my shopping trips. Overall I have noticed a significant amount of savings in my budget in just the few changes I have made over the past few weeks!

As always check out our facebook fanpage to see how the other challengers are saving!!

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #10~Go WithOut!

2010-09-07T11:17:00.000-06:00

I called this challenge a HUGE success since I have been trying to do this for the past few years. Clair suggested we pick an item our family loves to use and go with it for a week. She suggested getting rid of some of the disposable items in our lives. It not only saves money but also the environment. She suggested baby wipes, ziploc bags, and paper towels. Since I have an intense relationship with all of those items I decided to discuss some other items that we have given up over the past few years instead and how that affected me and my family.

We used to love these little fluffy delights in the shower and tub. Me in particular.... I made me feel like a girl and as though I was giving myself a little extra attention in the shower. However I realized that they are not good for the environment and I get just as much love from my washcloth in the shower.

We also love body washes. I sadly cut most of those out too. The only time I get body wash is if I can get it for free because again the waste from the bottles is bad for the environment.

I stopped using my swiffer mop almost two years ago. I don't miss it. My mom gave me a steamer mop for Christmas and I love it. It has saved me a ton of money. I just use water now!

I also quit using sponges to wash my dishes. I now use a brush or dish clothes.

This week I went without my face wash. I ran out and thought why not go without it and see if I can survive! I did survive I used a Dove bar soap and I also tried an avocado facial and it was perfect. So I saved money and the environment this week.

What are you doing to decrease the use of disposables in your home? Any tips or suggestions are also welcome!!

As always visit our facebook fanpage to see what the other challengers did without this past week.

Post Game Fun

2010-09-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our favorite part of the game is going on the field AFTER the game. Everyone is anxious the entire second half waiting to hang out with daddy. The OT didn't help the situation any this week. I did manage to get a friend to snap a picture of me with the kids since I NEVER get in front of the camera.

If we look tired it is because we are... thus the glazed eyes and crazy hair. I love Dalton's smile in this picture he loves football!

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?
Joining up with Krystyn over at Really, Are you Serious for Mommy and Me Monday.

A Little Spirit

2010-09-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share this message today. I love these they always make me feel like I am doing something right in my life. Hope it speaks to you the way it did to me.

Give Me Your Best Shot~Complete Randomness and a lot of the sky

2010-09-02T23:27:00.001-06:00

That is one powerful look from a 3-year old!

Catching some serious air on the tramp...

A beautiful sunrise on Monday.

I couldn't get enough of the sky this week. I love the clouds and the sun peeking thru!
What did you capture this week?
Linking up with Lolli over at Better In Bulk for Give Me Your Best Shot head on over to see what others were shooting this week.

What would you have said?

2010-09-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

Was reading some blogs last night and my awesome friend Cassi had this posted yesterday! It made me cry and smile all at the same time.

What would you have told yourself?

Morning "The Best Part of the Day"

2010-09-01T19:49:00.001-06:00

I know I am slow but better late than never. My very tardy Wordless Wednesday post! Linked up over at CrazyLand

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #9~Do It Yourself

2010-08-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

This weeks Budget Boot Camp Challenge was do it yourself. If you know me at all you know I don't do anything myself I have a guy for everything. So this was a real challenge for me! Beth gave us some great ideas for ways to do it yourself. Clair has a whole youtube video series on going green and saving green. How clever right?
After reading Beth and Clairs suggestions I realized I wasn't THAT bad and I do somethings myself. I do make my own cinnamon rolls from scratch-- You can see that venture on my youtube video. So I wouldn't call this challenge a complete fail for me because I am definitely willing to try new things especially if I can save money in the process. Just wish me LUCK!
I loved Clair's video so much about using an avocado as a face mask instead of spending a fortune on expensive beauty treatments I wanted to share. I didn't try it yet but avocados are on sale this week so I am going to try it out tomorrow ( I was going to the store today but my hubby accidentally took my wallet to work with him and NO it is not because I spend too much money haha!) So enjoy this video and depending on how much I like the avocado facial I may do a video of my own. You just never know about me!

As always visit our facebook fanpage to see what the other challengers are up to and to find great ways to get your budget into shape!

Just a quick update I have noticed a significant difference in our monthly budget. I am thrilled at all the savings! To see all the things I am doing to get my personal budget in shape read these Budget Boot Camp posts. It is not too late to get your budget in shape!

I do have other children.....

2010-08-25T22:22:00.000-06:00

I have to make a conscious effort to take pictures of my older children. With them gone all day long it makes it more difficult. Today after school I made them pose for me. Peyton is way more willing than Dalton he is of course his father's child.....

Those are tired eyes I must admit but I just loved the pose and how the sun made her look...

I had one great pose of this prince charming but unfortunately the amateur photographer here messed up the focus ugh!
Tomorrow I am going to take pictures BEFORE school not after. The lighting is better earlier in the morning anyway.....
The tired eyes are mostly from an exhausting cry over not knowing the correct bus number. Traditional school started today and so bus schedules and numbers change for us year-round people. I found it so sweet that each of them cried because they couldn't find the other after school. I am grateful they still care about one another! Bonus mommy points for today I wish those would cancel out all the scary mommy moments!
What do your children do that make you feel like a good parent?

3 Year Old Photo Shoot for Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T13:24:00.000-06:00

AHHHH! A praying mantis.....

And we're done!

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #8~Freezer Meals

2010-08-23T10:35:00.000-06:00

Hey all you Budget Savvy friends of mine. I can't believe we are already on week 8 of this challenge. I am particularly excited about this weeks challenge because I not only accomplished it but I took it one step further.
The challenge was to make an extra meal this week and freeze it. I actually made a large batch of one meal and froze half of it. I made a delicious Chicken Cacciatore. I cooked it in the crock pot all day so it was really no work for me except the initial prep. I served it for dinner and then froze the remaining portion. It was a HUGE hit with my kids and so I am looking forward to using it in the next week or so. I served it over ziti pasta and with corn on the cob. I only froze the sauce and I always have extra pasta and veggies so it will be a quick easy meal that we LOVE!
I took this challenge one step further and joined a with a group of women in my neighborhood and formed a freezer meal group. We are having a meeting this week and we will start doing freezer meals the first of September. I can't wait to see the $$$$$ (savings).
Because I completely spaced taking a picture of the chicken cacciatore I decided you might enjoy a picture of the dessert we had yesterday with Sunday dinner. Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Oh they were so yummy!!!

Want more freezer meal tips head on over to visit Clair she has some awesome tips and she also is doing a really cool give-away. Check her out at Mummy Deals.
And as always for more tips and budget saving ideas visit out facebook fanpage!

Football Practice

2010-08-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

This time of year we really miss our daddy and husband. He works crazy hours as I have already expressed! So we try to journey up and visit him at work. Mainly because it is a nice break from the confines of the house. And it assures the children that he indeed has not moved out.

Besides that it helps me get excited for the season. I love watching the players practice up close you never get to see them that close at the games and they always look so small down on the field. Believe me these boys are not small!
This is how my kids watch practice. They are more concerned with what there is to play with and where the water is located. Oh and don't forget the bathroom which is a complete adventure... sorry no picture of that!

Linking up with Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Frugal Online Shopping

2010-08-17T07:00:00.003-06:00

Are you sick of my budget tips yet? I hope not I have only a few. Believe me I didn't know there were so many ways to actually save money! Honestly why have I been paying full price for everything for so long?

Do you shop online? I am sure you have ordered at least one item from the internet. Wouldn't it be nice if you knew you could save money on your online orders? Especially this time of year when planning for the holidays or when sending your pictures to be printed? Well I have discovered a site that will help me save money when shopping online and it is called Coupon Chief.
It is a site that lists online coupon codes for when shopping online. Not only does it list coupons for all kinds of sites they also have an option for you to enter coupon codes you have discovered AND if people use your coupon code you can get paid. It is called Pays-2-share. How sweet is that deal? They have a great tutorial video that explains just how easy it is to use. And before you start shopping online go search their database of thousands of online stores. You might end up saving more than you expected!

I was compensated for this post however the opinions are my own.

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #7~Grocery Price Book

2010-08-16T20:12:00.000-06:00

The challenge for this week was to create a Grocery Price Book. Not to difficult right? But why on earth would I want to write down the price of everything I buy? Well I will tell you why because then you know when items you buy frequently hit rock bottom prices. Now who wouldn't want that info? I certainly would because if I know when it is going to be the cheapest I can maybe live without it for a week or so right? Beth tells us that most items go on sale in 6 or 12 week cycles. When items are at rock bottom that is when you can stock up on those items especially items you use a LOT.

Beth has some awesome suggestions in her post about the price book. She being the crazy organized person she is created a spreadsheet that she generously shares with us all. You should definitely check that out.
For now I am just using a notebook and making notes of what I am buying and what is on sale at that time. Once I have a few weeks down I am going to attempt the spreadsheet. They scare me you see...

As always check out our facebook page for more great info on how to get your budget in shape.

On another note I am starting to see some real savings at the grocery store. Last week I shopped the sales and used my coupons. I spent $74 and saved $79. I always do a little happy dance when I save more than I spend. I am sure the people in line behind me enjoy this as well haha! Oh I also got $7 back in vouchers for my next shopping trip. That is my favorite part as well. So really last week I made money at the grocery store. Well almost.... haha!

I'm Going to Miss this... GMYBS

2010-08-13T14:35:00.000-06:00

I am going to miss the warm weather, the water filled afternoons, and having the pleasure of just enjoying being outside. I feel like my summer was cut short this year. Not sure why. Oh well...and yes the little one is drinking from the slip and slide in every photo. And I can't figure out why my kids will not slid on their stomachs...
Joining up with Lolli from Better In Bulk for Give Me Your Best Shot!

Perfect Harmony

2010-08-11T19:53:00.000-06:00

I am so glad I took these pictures this morning before school because now while I enjoy the silence of sleeping children I don't feel so guilty about how crazy it gets in the evenings around here.

Notice the multitasking of the 3 year old. She is playing, singing and checking the ads! I have taught her well.

Dinner and Budget Boot Camp Challenge~ Week 6

2010-08-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

Last night for dinner I was inspired by kitchenmonki.com where I was doing some menu planning. Working on three months at a time. Now that is a challenge in itself but to also try to menu plan around items that are on sale AND that I have coupons for almost impossible. I said ALMOST I promise it can be done. This is my secret.... oh and I didn't invent the secret I stole it from someone. I theme menu plan. For example on Monday we will be eating something from my Pampered Chef cookbooks, Tuesday my old standbys, Wednesday Mexican, and so on and so forth. You get the idea. That makes it a little more flexible for me to match sales with my menu. Anyway I digress what I cooked was Chicken Kabobs. That's easy because I bought chicken on sale a few weeks ago and have it in the freezer and I have been going to my favorite farmers market for fresh produce once a week. I followed Clair's advice and only bought fruits and veggies that were priced around $1 per pound. So not only was this meal yummy and a crowd pleaser but it was also inexpensive and healthy! I think I should get bonus points for that.

The main challenge for this week was to only buy items that were on sale AND that I had a coupon for. So after going over the sales for the week and my coupons I went to Target. They were having their famous buy two items get a $5 gift card. So I knew my husband and I needed razors and a few other items. The razors were a huge savings I got 4 Gillette Sensor razors for my husband normally $8.99 and I got them for about $2.49 a piece. I also got my razors and replacement blades for a great deal. I also got my favorite body wash for FREE. I was so excited!! We did need sunscreen as well and I did not have a coupon for that but I went with the store brand and saved that way this week. I only bought produce and milk this week at the grocery store so overall I am SAVING, SAVING, SAVING!!
Are you getting your budget in shape too? Join me and check out our facebook fan page for more info!

Life's Little Joys

2010-08-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

I know the mirror is dirty. Seriously that is why I was in there, to clean the filth, and then I noticed it the sweet little muddy/soapy hand print. It was left by a 3 year old trying to wash her hands. I am sure she slipped and tried to catch herself or maybe she just wanted to make a mess. Who knows? What I do know; that little 3 year old hand is going to turn into a mother's hand one day and I hope she enjoys little muddy hand prints on her mirrors as much as I do on mine. What I really hope is that I am teaching her to enjoy the little muddy hand prints.
What do you hope you are teaching your children about life and messes?

Writer's Workshop: Football Version

2010-08-05T13:39:00.001-06:00

The official beginning anyway. For those of you keeping track football never really ends around here. We eat, drink, sleep football pretty much 24/7/365. It is our life. However those not officially affiliated like we are get really excited this time of year. I am excited but I am also a little sad. You see my husband packed his BIG bag to move into the dorms for the next 2 weeks. He will of course come home for brief periods of time to make sure we are still here.

This is from the first game last year. (or one of the first games)

After reading Mama Kat's writing prompts for this week I asked myself: if I could do it over again would I still choose to spend my life with a husband with this crazy schedule. The answer is a resounding YES! I know that by January I may be questioning my answer to that but I wouldn't want it any other way. Here are some reasons why.

Things I have learned from football:

1. Texting your husband is sometimes more romantic than seeing him.

2. There is nothing like a fly over during the national anthem

3. Stadium hotdogs although not good for your waistline are sometimes just what I need

4. The hard work and long hours really pay off

So if you could do it all over again would you?

Linking up with Mama Kat for her Writer's Workshop.

Look Mom I Can Climb the Wall.

2010-08-03T19:00:00.000-06:00

I wasn't sure what she meant when she started calling to me. Now I get it!

Linking up with Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #5~ Organizing Coupons

2010-08-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

So I got a little ahead of myself in my post last week about coupons. I talked about organizing them already and really I wasn't even supposed to do that yet. This week I have photos of my organized coupons. Prepare yourself it isn't anything amazing I promise. In fact it is so simple that you might consider joining me in my budget/coupon mission!

I know I built you all up and there you have it. That's it. One small pink file folder with coupon booklets in it. They are organized by month. I keep up to 5 months at a time. I don't store it on the chair normally just put it there for the photo.

This is how I label the individual coupons and then I file them away. Kayton even helps out....

I am not going to lie sometimes this is how they stay organized for weeks. But thanks to Budget Boot Camp they only stay here like this for a day or two at the most.

I also use printable coupons; those I just print as I need them I have found that less wasteful!
Just to report on my progress last week Smiths doubled coupons up to $1. They NEVER do that here so I was thrilled I made my shopping list and clipped my coupons. I spent around $70 and saved just over $40 shopping the sales, using coupons, and buying the store brand. We have also been eating at home much more.
We did go out for dinner on Saturday night but that was an Anniversary/return to football last celebratory effort. Well worth it!

Any questions/comments let me know! Visit the master minds behind this whole boot camp effort Beth and Clair. They always have great tips and ideas.

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #4~ Collecting Coupons

2010-07-27T11:08:00.000-06:00

I really didn't forget to do this challenge I just forgot to post about it! Ugh. I have been collecting coupons for 2 years. I don't always use them but I have them all filed away and labeled. I even upload coupons to my Smith's Fresh Values Card. As many of you know I use the site Grocery Smarts to help me use my coupons and shop the sales. It is so easy I feel like I practically do NO work. All I have to do is check the site once a week and be sure I am getting the best deal and using the right coupons to match the sales. I do not clip coupons unless they match a sale. I file the entire packet from the Sunday paper each week into a file folder I bought at Walmart. I keep them for 5 months after that they are usually all expired. Then each week when I check grocery smarts they tell me where to find my coupon either in my file folder or a site online. It is fantastic and the only way I am successful with coupons. I am not organized enough nor do I have the time to clip and file every single coupon it just doesn't seem worth it to me.

I know others have other methods but this one works for me and saves me money so I am sticking with it.

Do you clip coupons? How do you organize them? Share your tips here or go visit Beth and Clair for more advice. Also be sure to check out our facebook page to see what the other challengers are doing!

First Grade Girl Style

2010-07-27T10:05:00.000-06:00

First graders get to meet their teachers on the first day of school and then the second day of school is their first FULL day. I am always more nervous than my children..... Ahhh motherhood.

They were discussing shoes and backpacks which is of course one of the MOST important things when going back to school.

Modeling the new backpacks before leaving the house. Why does the 3 year old have the biggest one?

Back to School

2010-07-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

First day of 2nd grade. I feel a little bit nostalgic. I can actually remember going to 2nd grade. I remember my teacher was a MAN and I was so very nervous. Clearly I survived. I have some great memories from 2nd grade but I am pretty sure I started to like boys even though I know they had "cooties". Not sure if I am ready for all that nonsense as a parent. I prefer just watching my kids do things like this

Oh well I realize I can not stop it so I will just enjoy each moment!
Oh I am guest posting over at In Good Cents. I am actually giving some tips about going back to school.... head on over and check me out. While you are there you can also see all the great back to school sales Beth has posted.

Sorry I have been unplugged for the past few days. I had a little romantic get-away with my hubby before football season gets underway. I am now back and promise to be back to blog commenting!!

Wordful Wednesday~Vacation Style

2010-07-21T10:44:00.000-06:00

Prepare yourselves it is a bunch of pictures of swimming children. That is all we did. Swim, relax, eat a lot of frozen yogurt it was over 100 degrees the entire week what else should we have done? I told my husband I was like a bug the hotter it got the slower I moved. I enjoyed every minute. I did make time for a long overdue pedicure and my I already blogged about the fabulous massage I got. So here are the pictures I couldn't download because I forgot my USB cord.

This was my view for most of the vacation. I enjoyed the SUN!

Linking up with Angie today over at Seven Clown Circus.

Budget Boot Camp Challenge #3

2010-07-19T15:25:00.000-06:00

Challenge #3 was to try Generics. Clair had some great tips and ideas. I am not going to lie this is the HARDEST part for me. In fact one of the main reasons I started coupon shopping to begin with was because I could get my name-brand stuff for a better deal and still buy the products I LOVE.

I am going to have to say I probably failed this challenge. I mean there are some things I just won't budge on. I know have I mentioned I am stubborn?

You will all be pleased to know that I did still make a list and followed it based on my menu planning. Hooray for small victories. I went to Smiths they are having a big sale on some things that I needed. I mostly bought fresh vegetables I stocked up on toilet paper and mayo. I just won't budge on TP sorry I have tried and it is one of those products I just can't buy the store brand. I did however buy the brand that was on sale and I used a coupon. I price matched the mayo and with the sale and my coupon it was cheaper to buy the name brand than the store brand so I stuck with my plan there. I also got a great deal on some snacks and lunch items for my kids.

Anyway I spent less this shopping trip around $78 and I saved just over $30. I felt good about that considering I got all the food we will need for the week and stocked up on some items.

Items I will buy generic: butter, some cheeses, cream cheese, milk (if the store brand is cheaper), garbage and storage bags.

Items I just won't budge on: frozen and canned veggies I have tried the generic and I just can't eat them sorry, cleaning products and laundry detergent, and as I already mentioned toilet paper.

I have found that a lot of generic items are just as good as the name-brand I have tried them and I still use them if I am out and my favorite brand is NOT on sale. I do love getting name-brand stuff cheaper than generic though. That is my favorite part of coupon shopping.

For more Budget tips visit Clair or Beth and see what the next challenge will be. Also head on over to our facebook page for our latest updates and give-aways.

Love Your Job as a Mother

2010-07-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

You know your a Mom When-sDAZE

2010-07-14T07:00:00.001-06:00

Joining up with Arizona Mamma again today for you know you're a Mom When....

Family Vacations actually are more work than just staying at home.

You see your three year old put on swim goggles for the first time and you have a wave of emotion that can only be described with sounds not words.

You find great joy from kisses and hugs and you require them multiple times per day.

You go on vacation and the only pictures you take are of your kids swimming and you think they are all amazing.

You wish you would have brought the mini-USB cord for your camera so you could upload some of the above mentioned photos!

5 Things Mom's Still Have to do on Vacation

2010-07-13T10:31:00.001-06:00

Turns out when you go on family vacation you still have to do your MOM jobs. This is not a surprise to me I have been on family vacations before just realized that even though it is technically a "vacation" and it involves things like this

And a lot of this

I still have to make sure that not only do we bring everything with us but that we still have to function as a family while on vacation.
Top 5 things you have to do as a MOM while vacationing as a family:
1. Pack for EVERYONE
2. Make sure everyone still eats, sleeps, and hydrates enough
3. Clean up all the messes at condo, hotel, pool
4. Apply a LOT of sunscreen this duty can be shared but as the mom you needed to remember to PACK the sunscreen
5. Co-ordinate activities to keep everyone entertained (this means watch kids while husband enjoys multiple golf games to my one 50 minute massage)
Oh and one more thing PROMOTE family harmony. This one is easier said than done. Any tips??

photos courtesy of Green Valley Spa and Red Rock Golf Trail.

Budget Boot Camp Week 2

2010-07-12T10:19:00.000-06:00

This weeks challenge was to make a shopping list and stick with it. Really do people actually shop without lists? I am so scatter brained I wouldn't remember ANYTHING I went in there for. My problem is just buying ONLY what is on my list. This requires a fair amount of planning which I know. I have been coupon shopping off and on for the past 2-3 years.
I went to one of my favorite sites GrocerySmarts.com. You can read more about my couponing experiences if you really want!
Anyway I went to my favorite site and I looked at the grocery lists and my menu. Because remember I planned that last week. I then matched the sales with my coupons (this was NOT part of the challenge but since I have some experience with it I did it anyway). I double checked with the hubs to make sure I didn't forget anything then I ventured out. I was very lucky because my husband was home and I was able to go to the store with out three children in tow. Believe me they are so distracting! Anyway.... I am pleased to say I stuck to my list and I saved $90! Just shopping the store sales and using coupons. I spent around $125 but I stocked up on laundry detergent and bought almost all of the food for our vacation this week!
Just so you know my husband is not usually so involved in my budget adventures but he has been on vacation for the past few weeks and it is nice to have him around and help out. It has made it easier on me. I highly recommend involving your spouse in the budget. I know that may sound obvious to most of you but at our house I am in charge of our budget, my mistake is not involving my husband in every purchase. I am going to be much better about that from now on.
If you want to join me in this journey please click on the button above or head on over to Mummy Deals and In Good Cents to kick your budgets butt too!

Planning Success~Budget Boot Camp

2010-07-06T10:02:00.000-06:00

Sorry I have been missing in action. I have been enjoying some family time and I will have some posts about that soon. Today I wanted to report on how the Budget Boot Camp is going.

Last week I posted about menu planning and my 90 day Budget Boot Camp. Today I am posting about how that went this week. I am happy to report that I had some success with menu planning. I sat down with my husband and we planned out 3 weeks of meals. This is atypical as my husband is on vacation (more about that soon) so he was involved which I found very helpful. We planned meals that were sensible, healthy, and that we like as a family. I made a shopping list and bought what we would need for the week and then stuck to it. We did spend a little more than usual because we went out of town and had a large family BBQ for the holiday, but it was nice to have a plan and not run back to the store several times.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how if I plan ahead that I am less likely to give in and go out to eat which is where we waste a LOT of money.

Did any of you join in? Tell me how it went and what success or failures you had. You can link up with Beth at In Good Sense and show us how it went for you too.

You know you're a mom When-sDAZE

2010-06-30T10:47:00.001-06:00

You know you're a mom when....
You let your 3 year old clean the windows with a baby wipe in hopes that one day she will learn to do it the right way.

You let your 6 year old paint your 3 year olds toe nails and try to take a picture and the battery is DEAD in your camera because you left it on while downloading all your other pictures.

You look at your pictures and see things in an entirely different perspective and hope that you can be a better mom today.

Joining up with Arizona Mamma over at Our Daze in the Desert.

Budget Boot Camp

2010-06-29T12:22:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned on Sunday I am a challenger in the Budget Boot Camp. I am joining up with some of my favorite twitter and blogfrog friends and meeting some new ladies as well along this journey. I am very excited to make new blogging friends and get my budget in shape!

The first challenge is to make a menu and stick to it. Since I have been working on this anyway I am very excited to continue meal planning as a way to help me save money. I printed out the menu template from Beth at In Good Cents. Wish me luck as I am trying to do three weeks worth of menus.

If you would like to join me in this challenge please feel free! Each week I will be posting the challenge and then a wrap up post on how the challenge went. I will also be discussing it in my BlogFrog community so if you want to decrease your spending and get your budget in shape jump in NOW!

Click the button and it will take you to our facebook fanpage. Go ahead and like us and follow along on twitter too using the hashtag #budgetbootcamp.

Getting My Budget and Body in Shape

2010-06-27T21:40:00.001-06:00

I am joining up with some real budget savvy ladies over the next 90 days to get my budget in shape. We will be doing challenges each week to help us take charge of our budgets and save money for our families. I can't wait to share more of it with you all.

I figured while I am getting my budget in shape I might as well work out while I am at it. I am starting Jillian's 30 Day Shred again. This time I am posting about it here so I will feel a little more accountable and will get through the full 30 days this time! Wish me luck!

Baseball and girls~GMYBS

2010-06-25T08:42:00.000-06:00

We have spent a lot of time the past few weeks going to flag football games and baseball games and trying to finish up the school year. These are some shots from this week.

Baseball usually looks a lot like this, a lot of standing around and waiting and very little action. It is not different in the pros! The only thing missing here was the food!

The next is my favorite because he is already giving me THIS look. Can't wait for the teen years!

Another classic baseball pose. I love that boys automatically know how to play baseball. No coaching needed!

My sister was in town and joined us for one of the games this week. She and the girls were much more cooperative with the picture taking!

This is the last one I promise!!!

This is in the dug-out and the chatter is quite entertaining!

Hosted by Cecily

Wordful Wednesday~A Splashfest

2010-06-23T08:48:00.000-06:00

The neighbors invited us over for some water fun. I took my camera to practice shooting this is a little dark but I found it hysterical. I love that I caught the stream of water from her squirt gun.

She just got sprayed with a huge squirt gun she started yelling after and said "STOP getting me wet" as she proceeded to spray her sister with water.

They had put bubbles in the water (environmentally friendly of course!) My girls were so fascinated with the idea of bubbles in the pool they didn't want to get out even though the water was FREEZING! I also thought the colors were amazing the bright pin and the beautiful purple flowers in the background ahhhh summer!
They had so much fun thanks Jane for the invite we slept so great last night. Just one more reason I LOVE summer.
Linking up with Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Must Have Monday~ Cleaning Version

2010-06-21T12:41:00.000-06:00

I am joining up with Julia from Work, Wife, Mom...Life and Beth from Me As A Mommy. I was feeling uninspired and tweeted about it and Julia said I should join up and I thought that was a fabulous idea because I have about 10,000 must have items! The problem is narrowing it down to just one.

So for today my must have item is Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

Reasons I love these. They work great for wiping down my kitchen table, quickly cleaning up my 1/2 bathroom when I know company is coming and I don't have time for a deep cleaning, and my favorite use for them. Drumroll please...... I hand one to each of my kiddos and they run around the house cleaning doorknobs, light switches and getting those dirty hand prints off doors, walls, etc. My kids love using them and they love helping me. I set a timer and we all get busy. The house is cleaner, disinfected, and smells better in minutes.

If you have a must have item head on over and link up too.

I was not compensated in any way for this post. I love Clorox Wipes and just wanted to share why.

Flashback Friday~Father's Day Version

2010-06-18T10:28:00.000-06:00

Joining up with Janae over at Pink Moss for some Flashback Friday fun. This is my dad and his two oldest grand kids. They will both be 8 this year! He is a little like my Mom in that his favorite job is being a grandpa to 9 (soon to be 11) grandchildren. You can see the joy in his smile. Don't mind the children they didn't know they were supposed to be having fun too!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I am going to enjoy the nice weather!

Wordful Wednesday~Meeting CJane

2010-06-16T13:30:00.000-06:00

Did I mention I met CJane at the Casual Blogger Conference? I am certain I did. If not I totally did and she is just as amazing in real life as she is on her blog. I also got to chat with her Chup and see her new baby although formerlyphread was totally hogging her! I know this picture is really crazy of all of us, but we were laughing because there were about 600 people with cameras standing around us and CJane said I don't know where to look and started shaking her head back and forth. I found that obviously hilarious and laughed out loud as you can see. The picture Lolli got is even more hilarious I am almost bent over laughing.
I laughed a lot at the CBC it was very therapeutic!
Linked to Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Just FYI over at MMB they are having a give-away of all the left-over swag from the Casual Blogger Conference. You might want to check that out.

How to get your children to sleep really well during the summer

2010-06-14T14:19:00.000-06:00

Repeat as necessary to ensure proper drowsy effect by bedtime! I found two hours was adequate. You may need to adjust times to your particular situation.

How to distract a six year old on her birthday.

2010-06-09T21:40:00.000-06:00

I have no idea how to do this. I did my best but I think I fell a little short. All the presents were opened before 9 a.m. and by noon we had picnicked at a very cool local shopping village. And by that I mean we ate our food as fast as we could so that the ducks and cats did not attack us. My children are painfully frightened by any animal but especially those they are unfamiliar with.

Really they are kind of intimidating right?
We quickly came home to put together the cake masterpiece so that friends could come on over and help to devour it.

It is a pattern cake NOT trifle when you are six you don't know what trifle is but you do know way more about patterns than you will ever need!
Regardless of my inability to distract I was able to get a few great shots of the birthday girl. Hope you had a great day! We love you!

Things that get in the way.....

2010-06-08T11:30:00.000-06:00

One of the keynote speakers at CBC 2010 was Matt Townsend. I like to call him a relationship comedian. And I just name people what ever I want because I am cool like that. He spoke about his program Feeding the Starved Marriage. I thought he was amazing. He made me laugh about things that get in the way of having a GREAT marriage. He calls them smoke. He said that generally marriage satisfaction goes down 20% per child. So basically I am 60% less satisfied with my marriage because of something I grew. There is really nothing I can do about that except make the best of it, one reason I pay an exorbitant amount of money for very qualified babysitters.

He also talked about a lot of things that get in the way and I was so happy that of the long list he mentioned only one or two were on my list. Which made me realize that I have a great marriage. Okay I actually already thought that but it is always nice to have someone validate that. Someone that is an "expert"! So I included this video so you can see why I was laughing so much. He of course related it to BLOGGING for us cause well that's what we do.

Want to discuss this with me head on over to my BlogFrog Community.

I just really like what Matt had to say I was not compensated in any way for this post!

How Summer Should Look

2010-06-04T11:32:00.000-06:00

I love the warmer weather we have enjoyed it all week. These are shots from Memorial Day. I am a little behind. I am trying to get more organized around here so I can be better at blogging. It is just taking some time. I have been playing with my camera a lot this week hoping to take better pictures.
Linking up with Lolli over at Better in Bulk for Give Me Your Best Shot.

Reasons You Should Attend a Blogging Conference

2010-06-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

1. Meeting your online friends in real life is amazing!
2. You can talk about blogging and not be worried that others won't know what your talking about. (or that they will think you are crazy)
3. Vendors, vendors everywhere!
4. Free goodies from awesome businesses!
5. Networking

After attending the Casual Bloggers Conference I feel like I can conquer the world. Well not really but here a few highlights.
My favorite class was on organization. It was taught by Marie Ricks from House Of Order and Sarah Kimmel from Organized Mom (dot) net and Tech4Mommies (dot) com. They gave me some really great tips and ideas. More to come on this one!!

I was also privileged to meet the wonderful founders of The BlogFrog Holly and Rustin. You all know that I LOVE them already but it was amazing to meet them in real life. We all went to dinner on Friday night and it was like we were old friends!

I was also so excited to meet my friend Lolli from Better In Bulk. She is just as fantastic as I thought she would be. We both said it felt like we had known each other for years. That is the great thing about meeting blogging friends we really have known each other for just over a year. We met through BlogFrog and we have been emailing, blogging and tweeting. She taught an amazing photography class that goes along with her Bloggography series. Here we were enjoying a sandwich waiting to hear Courtney from C-Jane Enjoy It. She was amazing. More on that later too!

(I obviously did not take either of these pictures so I can not be held responsible for how they turned out!)

Coming up this week right here. How to improve your SEO, finding your voice, faith in blogging and MUCH more about how to get organized (or rather how I plan to get more organized!)

Blogging Conferences Educational and Entertaining

2010-05-28T23:16:00.000-06:00

I have so much to share with you all but I am too exhausted to blog about education and speakers so I will share a little video with you. My friend Emi and I were lucky enough to be able to perform with Mindy Gledhill tonight. And by perform I mean we stood behind her and clapped while she sang this amazing song. She wore the glasses and she is adorable!

First Blogging Conference

2010-05-27T14:15:00.000-06:00

I am going to the Casual Bloggers Conference this weekend. It starts off with a Girls Night Out tonight and then for Friday and Saturday I will be immersed in all things blogging. I am a little nervous but so excited I can hardly contain myself. I don't have a laptop but I will have my blackberry with me furiously tweeting and facebooking all that I am learning. If any of you have tips for me or special notes you would like me to take let me know! I will be back on Sunday with a post all about what has been happening.
Anyone else going to be there. Let me know!

Have you been to a blogging conference and if not would you ever go to one?

Someone had a Birthday

2010-05-26T13:19:00.000-06:00

She turned three and I tried not to be sad because after all turning three is so very exciting.

There are older siblings offering birthday wishes and hugs and LOTS of presents to open.

Then you get to go to lunch with your sister and mom. And then go to a giant warehouse full of bounce houses and inflatable slides (where you will loose both of your cute flowers from your hair)!

Then you must play with all of the presents that you opened

After all these activities you would think a three year old might get exhausted (which she did) but then you must celebrate with daddy. And what better way than an exciting bowling game!

The day ended with dinner out and then home for cake and ice cream and a wonderful rendition of "Happy Birthday".
I really didn't cry but pretty sure my baby is no longer a baby anymore.

Not Exactly What I Expected

2010-05-24T09:02:00.000-06:00

My husband and I stayed up late last night watching the series finale of "Lost". It was a good ending to a six year series. I was a little disappointed but what was even more disappointing was hearing the news of snowy weather this morning. The weather person said snow in the mountains and possibly on the valley floor which almost always means WE will get snow.
This is what I saw when I came downstairs to fix breakfast

If I was more organized they would be planted and getting snowed on, but now if they die at least I can take them back for a refund.
I sent my children to school the last week of May in their heavy winter coats. Good thing I am not organized or they would have been packed away somewhere and made my morning difficult.

My daughter said she didn't want to go to school today. Really can you blame her? I made her go anyway. Does that make me a bad mom?
I am going to sit on the couch and snuggle my baby on her last day of being 2 and wait for the storm to pass. Then I am going to frantically get ready for a three year old birthday!
I announced the winner of my give-away over here. Did you win?

A little Reminder

2010-05-22T12:03:00.000-06:00

I mentioned this yesterday but don't forget I am doing my first official give-away over here. Check it out.
Have a fantastic weekend.

Donkeys, Penguins and Give Me Your Best Shot by Proxy

2010-05-21T10:17:00.001-06:00

My girls had their dance concert last Friday. The theme was "All Creatures Great and Small". It was a fantastic concert. I was lucky enough to have my friend Wendy join us. She brought her camera and took these fantastic pictures for us.

I know they look like little burglars but they are really groundhogs. The whole dance was their impressions of groundhogs. They imitated the digging and in this part they are showing how they pop up out of their holes.

Next came the penguins. They stole the show of course don't the littlest ones always steal the show?

I love this dance for my girls because there is no competition. It is interpretive/creative dance for young girls. Miss Diane dances with the youngest classes so they are not scared. She encourages them to be themselves and helps them to gain a positive body image. There is no weight limit or dieting. I LOVE that as this is what I am trying to teach my girls each day.

The next dance was the Eyeore or Donkey dance.

Oh no my tail is gone! It was so much fun I can't wait for dance next year.

Hosted by Cecilyand Mom24

I am doing my first giveaway and review. Check that out over here at the Rukus Reveiws!

Wordful Wednesday

2010-05-19T09:37:00.001-06:00

Another lovely little surprise arrived on my doorstep yesterday. It was just one more little simple joy that helps me to remember what I am really thankful for.

I won these from commenting in the Alice.Com BlogFrog new community launch. This is why I LOVE blogfrog well one reason! If you aren't involved with BlogFrog now would be a great time to join. It is simple and free. I know I have said that before. I have made so many great friends and won some really cool stuff just by having discussions and meeting new people.
Flowers are one of my favorite things. I love the vibrant colors, the fantastic aroma, and the smiles they bring to everyone's face. I am thankful for their simplicity and what they represent.

What things are you thankful for?

It's the Little things.....

2010-05-18T08:44:00.000-06:00

It is the little things that make my life NOT so crazy. Are you sensing a theme this week? It is completely unintentional I am not that organized! My daughters and I went for a walk yesterday morning and enjoyed the sunshine and the warm weather. We went to the park and they played and I visited with a neighbor I don't know very well. It was nice to relax and make a new friend. I have no pictures of that adventure. When I arrived home I did find this on my doorstep

Remember I posted all these cleaning posts? I entered them over at the Mom Loop BlogFrog Community and I won this lovely Scrubbing Bubbles gift basket. I was so excited. I already tried out the cleaner and I love it! My favorite part was the Aqua Notes. It is a note pad and pencil you put in the shower so when you have ideas or remember something in the shower you can write it down. How genius is that?

So what little things help you slow down and enjoy your crazy life?

Is My life always going to feel this crazy?

2010-05-17T09:31:00.000-06:00

Last week seemed like it was 6 years long. It started with my husband leaving town on Sunday and then ended with my dad going home from the hospital, a dance recital, a flag football game and a photo shoot. I was thinking I could have crammed a few more things in but I thought I would save them for this week.

These were fun to shoot. It was a great game and the team played really well. I of course only made it after half time. I was gathering supplies for the photo shoot. This is one of many great pictures.

See more fantastic shots here. My amazing friend/babysitter Wendy did an awesome job as usual. She also took pictures at the dance recital when I have those I will post. It was a joy to watch. My youngest daughters class stole the show! I was so very proud; as a mother should be.

We ended the day yesterday enjoying the beautiful weather and watching the kids enjoy the trampoline.

Thank goodness we had one day of rest so as to gear up for another crazy week! Do you ever feel like your life is too crazy? What do you do to help you slow down? Go here to discuss in my community.

Five Question Friday

2010-05-14T10:20:00.000-06:00

First of all just want to say sorry I have been absent this week. If you tweet and saw my tweets you know why otherwise just know it has been a crazy week around here. But I am back and ready to blog and visit blogs and show comment love to you all. On to Five Question Friday joining up with Mama M. from My Little Life.

1. Take your pick.... date night, girls night out, or night out alone? I really have to say date night as long as I don't have to pay a sitter. There is just nothing like having that one on one time with my husband.

2.Can you touch your nose with your tongue? Nope

3. What is your favorite flower and why? I love roses. Not any specific reason I just think they are beautiful.

4. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself? I am going to do another post on this for Janae at Pink Moss. More about that later but the short version. "Don't worry so much. It is all going to work out. Maybe not exactly how you planned but it will work out and you are going to be very happy!"

5. If you won the lottery what is the very first thing you would do? Get a great financial advisor and unlist my phone number!

I LOVE surprises

2010-05-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

Well only if they are good surprises. I worked last week and while my babysitter was here she snapped some pictures with my camera. She is a photographer and I love when I turn on my camera and find lovely little surprises like this.

Wouldn't you love those kind of surprises too? How lucky am I?
What to see more of her work go to her photo blog here Photo's by Wendy G.
Happily linked with Angie at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Welcome Little One

2010-05-10T13:23:00.000-06:00

We met this new little baby for the first time on Saturday. She is my newest niece. She is pretty amazing. I held her for a really long time and then decided I wanted a picture of her. I discovered it is really difficult to photograph babies.

I love little tiny babies they are just perfect. They only need a few things and lots of love and that is so easy to give.

These guys thought she was pretty neat stuff too.

We love new babies. Thanks to my brother and his wife for sharing this sweet beautiful little baby with us for the day. We can't wait to see her (and her siblings) again soon.

A little about life and a lot about Nie Nie

2010-05-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

I was reading blogs the other night and my new friend Motherboard from Crazyland shared this inspirational video and asked that if we liked it to share it on our own blogs. I wanted to share something more spiritual today and this video couldn't be more perfect! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And if you enjoy it please share it on your blog as well.

My Mom

2010-05-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

My mom has many names. She is a daughter, a child of God, a wife, a sister, a mother, and a grandmother. She is also a councilor, a therapist, a referee, a cheerleader, a babysitter, nurse, substitute teacher..... The list goes on. You get the idea. She is also a great example of unconditional love and forgiveness. I only hope that one day my children will admire my work as a mother as much as I admire my own mother.
Want to know a secret though. I am pretty sure her favorite name or JOB is Grandma....

These are only three of her 9 grandchildren. She has two more on the way. And she is just as excited about 10 and 11 as she was the first. She is a fantastic grandma! Love you mom hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day. I wish I could spend it with you! I will be there in spirit.

Show Me Your Work

2010-05-07T05:00:00.003-06:00

If you have been reading my blog this week you know I have been on a mission. A cleaning mission. It ended slightly sooner than I wanted due to the fact that I worked last night and I will be working again tonight. Needless to say I have had a great week of cleaning. It started in the kitchen and spread through out my house. I also noticed it spread to many of you.

As promised here is the link for you to all link up and show me what you have accomplished this week. I hope you were as inspired as I was.

I have too many Bathrooms!

2010-05-06T12:46:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was clean the bathrooms day. ALL three of them. That is about 3 too many. Oh wait we do need at least one right? So when we first moved into our house I was a little surprised that there were no towel racks or toilet paper holders NOTHING. So 5 (yes 5) years later I am still trying to find the right towel racks and trying to make my bathrooms look nice. So not only did I clean I did some make overs too.
This one just got cleaned and it is so small it was hard to photograph and really I wanted to show that it SMELLS better. Because really that is the trick of cleaning the bathroom right?

This one got a new towel rack with towels that match. Now it seems more complete to me. This is my kids bathroom and it is always a disaster!

This one is still getting a makeover. I bought all the towels and rugs last night. I am in the process of painting it a light gray (Dolphin Fin). I also want to put in new floors and a backsplash around my giant jetted tub but that hasn't happened yet. It will and when it does I will post that too!

See the taping on the floor I am repainting the base boards too. But notice mostly the reflection in the shower door because it is never that clean.
Oh and can you guess what I am working on today?

Don't forget to come back tomorrow and link up all your cleaning posts. I will have the Linky up so you can join in! Want to see my other projects they are here.

Caption This!

2010-05-05T08:51:00.000-06:00

Joining up with Cass over at The World Through My Eyes again for Caption this!

So how would you caption this picture??

Toy Volcano Neutralized

2010-05-04T21:45:00.000-06:00

Day two of mission clean the Rukus house.
07:00 am Up kids in shower
07:30 am Every one dressed and downstairs for breakfast (in a clean kitchen)
07:45 am Scripture study
08:00 am Waiting for bus
08:15 am Kids out the door to school
08:30 am Mom and youngest ready to go to school to help in classrooms
09:00 am Out the door to school
11:00 am Back home quickly vacuum living room for company
11:30 am Peyton home from school friends arrive
12:00 pm Lunch (lots of good conversation and fun)
1:00 pm decorating of cupcakes

02:00 pm friends leaving for one year old nap time 3 year old did not want to leave so she stayed and watched Princess and the Frog

02:30 pm Realize I have not done my daily cleaning to post find a really messy spot and photograph it
03:00 pm frantically start cleaning messy area and sorting
03:45 pm Dalton home from school encourage him to quickly eat snack and get started on homework
04:00 pm start searching for friends shoes and socks so we can take her home.
04:05 pm FRANTICALLY looking for shoes and sock of friend in a panic that we have lost said shoes and friend will never be allowed to return
04:15 pm completely losing it call friends mom and ask if she knows where shoes are (she does she took them with her)
04:16 pm huge sigh of relief load everyone into car
04:30 pm friend back to her home her dog escapes as we are dropping her off OOPS!
04:45 pm In and Out for dinner
05:00 pm back home finish dinner and homework get girls ready for dance rehearsal
05:30 pm girls out the door for dance rehearsal; homework resumes
05:35 pm resume frantic cleaning and sorting and taking pictures of finished product
05:55 pm husband home and promptly takes son and leaves to run errands
06:00 pm Me out the door to dance rehearsal
07:45 pm back home runs upstairs to get 5 year old to bed and rock 2 year old who refused to let her father rock her
08:15 pm posting so that everyone know that I cleaned despite my crazy RUKUS!
Before and after pictures.....

I sorted the clothes and have a box prepared for donation. All the toys are neatly placed in their corresponding bin and there is actually a spot to play in the TOY room. Mission toy room and sorting accomplished.

Happily linked to Angie over at Seven Clown Circus for Wordful Wednesday.

Bloggography Week 9~Focus on Your Subject

2010-05-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

Joining up with Lolli at Better In Bulk and Beth at Manic Mother again this week for another Bloggography tutorial. I have learned so much that I actually took this picture before I read this weeks challenge. I felt like it covered every detail that we were challenged to meet. The task was make sure you focus on your subject in particular the eyes. I think I am getting it....

I also took this one before the assignment I didn't do a great job of focusing on his eyes but I did have him off center a little and that part is always a little challenging to be sure that your subject stays the focus....

Day One Success~ Kitchen

2010-05-03T18:00:00.002-06:00

I know totally gross right? Don't worry it looks better now.

I started with these tools. No they did not pay me or give any of this stuff to me for free. It's what I use. Those are my basics and really it is all I need plus a little "elbow grease" as my mom always told me.

I cleaned the microwave inside and out and polished all my stainless steel. (Microwave, stove, and dishwasher). I looked in my junk drawer and went to town. This is after and if you still think it looks bad you should have seen it before. And no I am not a pyro we just grill a lot and we use a charcoal grill.

This has been an eye sore forever and it has been bugging me more and more so today I did something about it. It isn't perfect but WAY better than before right??

And drumroll please the final product!

Not too bad right? Now as Jay-Z says "On to the Next One!"

PS~~ one more thing. So you don't want to post along with me on your blog?? Head on over here and post your pictures in the blogfrog community or leave a comment with a link to your pictures and you can win some scrubbing bubbles cleaning products from my friend Quirky Momma.

Official Clean MY House week

2010-05-03T09:34:00.000-06:00

I can't get motivated. Well to spring clean anyway. Probably because I keep waking up to this in MAY!

So to get myself motivated I am going to post everyday this week about what I have cleaned or what I am going to clean. See what I am doing here? I am motivating myself, making myself accountable, and documenting that I actually want to get something done. And although this lovely vinyl sign is proudly displayed in my kitchen basking in my beautiful recessed lighting....

I am going to clean this week if it kills me! I need a cleaner space I need to show that I am getting things done and this is how I am going to do it.
Each day I will post a before and after picture of what I have done. On Friday I am going to post my final project and then a Linky so you can all link up if you want and show me what you have cleaned this week. Oh I am so excited!!
What are you going to clean this week? (I am starting with my kitchen!!)

Give Me Your Best Shot!

2010-04-29T21:18:00.000-06:00

This week seems like it has been the longest week of my life and yet it is already Friday?? I can't seem to get moving on anything it could have something to do with the fact that it has snowed the past few days. I did get to spend some time with my sister who lives about 4 hours away and I shot a few of these pictures. Note to self it is difficult to take pictures in a restaurant. {Lots of obstacles} They turned out okay despite those obstacles!

Really we were just having lunch; it looks like it was much more crazy than that. I guess that is what happens when you take six kids to lunch in the middle of the day!

I am joining up with Lolli at Better in Bulk and also Cecily for Photo Story Friday.

Caption This!

2010-04-28T12:07:00.000-06:00

I am stressing WAY too much about all my blog posting and lack there of and my lack of commenting on all my awesome friends blogs so..... My friend Cass (you might remember her from this post) started a new meme called "Caption This". I am joining up with her today because I think it is so cool. You can read all about it here.

This was the first official Flag Football game. It was a beautiful day and I had so much fun taking pictures and cheering on a cute bunch of 6-7 year olds. After it was all over Jeff informed me he was way more involved in the process than he wanted to be. (He is not an official coach for the team) Although he looks like one right?
So how would you "Caption This" picture?

Simply Smiles~ I Heart Faces Week 17

2010-04-26T11:19:00.000-06:00

This is just one of the many pictures I took this weekend and when I saw that the I Heart Faces theme for this week was smiles I just wanted to enter this picture. And later today or tomorrow when I have more time I will post more pictures from our weekend. Until then head on over to I heart faces to see more smiling faces.

Movies and Nicknames

2010-04-25T10:14:00.000-06:00

Joining up with Keely again today from Mann Land 5 for Getting to know You.

1. If you could star in any movie genre what would it be? Romantic Comedy for sure. Those are my all time favorites.

2. Do you recycle? I do recycle. I am not as good at it as I should be but I know that my recycle trash is always full so that's good right??

3. Have you ever been to a strip club? No and I don't plan on it either. I just don't find that exciting....

4. Do you have a nickname? Well in college everyone called (okay not everyone) me Blood. That was my maiden name. Now my hubby and I call each other "Jo" sometimes. Some people call me "Bran" (obviously a shortened version of my name) My favorite nickname is "Mom"

5. What is a name you can't stand to be called? I don't think it is a name but I don't like to be called a "tomboy". It is upsetting and I am not sure why.....

6. What are your summer staples? Sunscreen and lots of water. So I guess a durable swimsuit and cute board shorts as well!

7. What is the last thing you bought for yourself? I got some undershirts at "Shade" about 6 weeks ago and I am due for a summer shopping trip.

8. Are you happy with your boob size? I can't believe I just put that on my blog. For now I am happy. I would like to enhance at some point I think but not until I can justify the cost and right now I just can't!!

Have a great Sunday everyone.

Five Question Friday

2010-04-23T08:02:00.000-06:00

Joining up with Mama M. from My Little Life today for Five Question Friday.

1. What was the first car you owned? A black chevy corsica with red pin stripes.
2. What song are you embarrassed to know the lyrics to? Seriously there are too many to list. I guess the one I am most embarrassed about it Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot (hehe)
3. Have you ever had stitches? Yes after I had my first baby. I have never needed them for anything else though.
4. What was your first job? I taught piano lessons for a year when I was 15 or 16.
5. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character? I like them all really, okay if you are really going to make me choose I guess Cookie Monster. I love that he eats everything in site and everyone just expects that from him!

Wordful Wednesday

2010-04-21T15:18:00.000-06:00

Two trips to the school in 1 hour = a lot considering gas prices these days
Trip to the doctors office = $20
Trip to the pharmacy to fill antibiotics for ear infection = $22
Falling asleep in the car on the way home from said activities = PRICELESS (since she had been crying the entire time)

Sorry it's not a great picture but all I had was the cell phone. Joining up with Angie at Seven Clown Circus today.

Bloggography Week 8~Making the Most of YOUR lens

2010-04-20T12:48:00.000-06:00

Joining up with Lolli at Better in Bulk and Beth at Manic Mother today for another Bloggography challenge. This week they wanted us to make the most of our lens. I felt like I do this anyway but I wanted to really see what my lens could do. I went upstairs where the view is pretty amazing and I snapped two pictures showing the range of my lens.

Then I wanted to zoom in on the mountains because they are so beautiful across the valley still covered in snow.

I was disappointed I got the neighbors roof because I thought this was a pretty cool picture.
I took these pictures from exactly the same spot and they look completely different. I was pretty excited to see what I could do with my lens.
I use a Nikon D40 and my lens is a Nikon 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6

Girls Night Out

2010-04-19T13:02:00.000-06:00

I never go to Girls Night Out event. Seriously never! I don't know why. Okay that's a lie I do know why I have three kids and a husband who works crazy Division I football hours. I don't complain about it too much. Okay I complain about it a lot and usually very loudly but that is not what this post is about. This post is about my first official Girls NIght Out and how absolutely amazing it was. Why have I been depriving myself from this?
This particular Girls Night Out was sponsored by the lovely ladies of SassyScoops. They are all amazing! They are partnered up with the lovely ladies from the Casual Blogger Conference and sponsored this event at a local Italian Cafe. The food was fabulous and the company was amazing.
I was lucky enough to get to go with one of my best friends Lynette. We even posed for a picture.

There were lots of amazing prizes I even won a $25 gift card to an amazing little shop.

This is Vanessa and Emily. They were giving away all the prizes and I couldn't resist this picture.
It was so exciting to meet other bloggers and start to network with them. I am so excited for the Casual Blogger Conference next month. I also met Elisa from Mormon Mommy Blogs and Crazyland oh and she is also speaking at CBC and one of the founders. She was so nice and she recognized me because of blogfrog. She is big time and she recognized me thank you blogfrog!
Anyway back to the point. I will be participating in more Girls Nights Out. I can't believe I have been so deprived no wonder I am so grouchy!

Getting To Know You

2010-04-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

Joining up with Keely over at Mann Land today for Getting to know you. I of course did it vlog style again under pressure from my lovely friend Kate. Again don't mind the messy house behind me and the children in the background. That is how it always sounds and looks around here. Actually it is usually worse.