Countdown to Christmas: 5 Days of Giveaways! Day 1

Christmas is just around the corner (OK, seriously... how did the end of the year get here so fast?! Wasn't it *just* August?!)

To help make your holiday merry and bright... Angie, Jane and I have teamed up to bring you:

Each day this week will feature a new giveaway! Angie, Jane and I will each post one item for that day's giveaway... the three items will tie in together somehow, and one lucky reader will win all three items for that day! But in order to win, you must visit and comment on each of our blogs.

For today's giveaway, I have a bottle of Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple shower gel...

To enter today's giveaway:

• comment on this post, letting me know: what is your favorite way to pamper yourself?

• AND visit Angie & Jane to see what else is up for grabs today!

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Remember: you must comment on all three blog posts in order to be eligible for that day's prizes! Winners will be announced December 7th. Good luck... and happy holidays!

*I purchased this item for today's giveaway

Giving Back.

A recent report from the USDA states 16 percent of American households are "food insecure"... an increase of 13 million people over the previous year. Sadly, more Americans than ever are going hungry.

Mind-boggling, isn't it? The United States is supposed to be the "richest country in the world", "the land of opportunity". How is it possible that over 49 million people across this country face hunger?

So what can we do to help?

• Donate to Feeding America. For every $1 donation, Feeding America helps provide 7 meals to men, women and children who are facing hunger in the U.S.

• Support your local food bank. Food pantry shelves all over this country are running low.

I, personally, am holding my own "Comments for Cans" (thanks, Em.)

For every comment left on this post through Sunday night (11/29), I will donate one canned good item to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.

Angie and Jane are also participating in this endeavor with me. We challenge you to do the same. Write your own "Comments for Cans" post on your blog and donate to your local food bank. I firmly believe that every little bit helps.

Now, let the comments commence!

Giving Thanks.

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord, of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

~Folliott S. Pierpoint

Lost in Austen

Of the tasks I've done so far as part of the Everything Austen Challenge, watching "Lost in Austen" has been my favorite.

The adorable Jemima Rooper plays Amanda Price, a modern Londoner who longs for the romance and elegance of the Austen era. Amanda gets her wish one night when she and Elizabeth Bennet trade places; Amanda finds herself in the 19th century, while Elizabeth stays in the 21st.

I thoroughly enjoyed this miniseries! Austen purists probably hate it, since it strays from the book quite a bit a lot. There are so many plot twists and characters who are basically unrecognizable... but that's what I loved about it! Seeing a whole different side of Wickham... relationships that came out of nowhere... the happy ending, albeit one that is very different from Pride and Prejudice.

Also? Elliot Cowan positively smolders as Mr. Darcy. Case in point:

Now that is what was missing from the "Colin Firth lake scene"... a wetter (and therefore, clingier) shirt. Ahem.

I found "Lost in Austen" clever, funny and very entertaining! Two thumbs up!

Gobble, Gobble

...turkey... mashed potatoes... stuffing... cranberry sauce... green bean casserole...

what's your favorite part about Thanksgiving dinner?

Yet another example of sisterly love.

Hannah woke up Saturday morning with a fever and said she felt dizzy when she got out of bed. After taking her temperature and finding it to be 101, Shane said to Hannah, "I think maybe you should go to the doctor."

"Why?", Hannah asked.

"Just to be sure you don't have the flu", was Shane's reply.

Overhearing the conversation, Michaela had this to say to her sister:

"No, not the flu! Stay away from me, you're deadly!"

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I did take Hannah to the doctor that morning... both flu and strep tests came back negative. She apparently just had a viral infection. Which of course nothing can be done about... so there goes that office visit co-pay.

I'm tired, so this post probably isn't going to make much sense.

Lil' bits of random drivel...

Michaela lost her first tooth!

Don't let the photo fool you... she's not very happy about it. I'm not sure why. But she is happy about the $5 left under her pillow from the Tooth Fairy.

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Hannah has become a bit obsessed lately with the Game Show Network, of all things! Especially "Lingo" and "Family Feud". Weird, huh?

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Why am I tired? Just having about 4 hours of sleep will do that to you. I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night because I got home at 3:00 in the morning. And the reason I was out so late was because Angie and I went to the midnight premiere of "New Moon".

We did have a good laugh at ourselves... during one scene we both were tense, from all the drama and anticipation and the music building... and then I had to say to Angie "We've both read the book! It's not like we don't know how this ends! What are we so anxious for?!"

There were also chants of "17... 17... he's only 17..."

Holy smokin' abs, Batman!

Has anyone else seen the movie yet? What did you think of it? I won't give away any spoilers... but I will say that while I did like the "Twilight" movie, I think "New Moon" is much better. It's actually my least favorite book out of the series. But the movie was really good! The meadow looks like the meadow from the book (at least in my mind) and that made me happy. I didn't think the meadow in the first movie looked like THE MEADOW, know what I mean?

And while "New Moon" still wasn't perfect... overall, I give it two thumbs up.

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Alright, I'm barely keeping my eyes open... time for me to go back to bed!

EE '09

This past weekend... dubbed "Estrogen Extravaganza '09"... was an absolute blast. Staying in a beautiful cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and hanging out with 12 other fabulous women was amazing (and being relieved of mommy-duties for a few days is always a plus!)

So what do 13 women do when they get together for a weekend?

They take lots of pictures...

Do a little bit of cooking...

And a little bit whole lot of eating...

They also do some shopping and movie-watching... not to mention talking and laughing.

A few brave souls may even venture out to take in a showing of "Paranormal Activity". And then promptly search YouTube for the alternate ending when they get back to the cabin...

Those who aren't so brave may choose to peruse YouTube for videos of the funny kind...

Some of them go horseback riding...

And later whilst downloading pictures, they find the best one of the whole trip (click on the photo to get the full effect)...

I could have filled this post with just photos showing all the good times we had. But the best part of my weekend was getting to hang out with these awesome gals... some I had met before, some this was our first time meeting face-to-face.

To Angie, Kat, Lizzy, Lula, Melissa, Cara, Brandy, Heather, Jane, Angela, Shelley and Denise:

Words can't describe just how fabulous EE'09 was! I'm so glad we got together for a weekend (albeit, a far-too-brief one!) Every one of you ladies rocks my world.

The only thing left to do now is decide where we should go next year...

Perhaps I've been neglecting my blog...

I don't think I've ever gone this long without posting before.

But I'm back from my Estrogen Extravaganza weekend and I'm exhausted.

As well as behind on the laundry. And grocery shopping. Heck, I haven't even unpacked my suitcase yet!

I had the most awesome weekend with this fabulous group of women:

As soon as I can make a coherent thought and get some laundry done, I'll post more about my little getaway to the Smoky Mountains. For now, all I'll say is...

I can't wait to do it again next year!

Perhaps I've been neglecting my household duties...

maybe just a teensy little bit?

Monday Musings

I finally broke down and bought my first Vera Bradley handbag...

Isn't she pretty? I just loves her.

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I caught an episode of Oprah last week... she held a "shoe and handbag intervention". One of the fashion experts, some guy named Joe, had this to say:

"...if you're fuller in figure, you don't want a round bag, because that adds an unnecessary 10 pounds. … You don't want to be round with round. You want to contrast your body shape."

Ummmm... I just bought a round bag {see above}. And I would call myself "fuller in figure"...

Well, you know where Joe can shove his so-called-advice, right?

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Two things I'm looking forward to this week:

• A new episode of "Glee" Wednesday night!

• A girls getaway to Pigeon Forge that we've been planning since MAY. These past 5 months could not have gone by any slower... but now that our "Estrogen Extravaganza" is here, it's hard to believe the time has come already! Three nights in a fabulous cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Hanging out with 13 fabulous gals... gossiping, watching movies, eating lots of yummy food, horseback riding... this is going to be the best. weekend. EVAH!

P.S. if you're driving north on I-75 towards Knoxville on Thursday, Angie and I will be the ones in the Dodge minivan... singing along at the top of our lungs to the "Glee" soundtrack. Good times.

Reason #27 Why I Love Fall

Is there really anything better than playing in a big ol' pile of leaves? Methinks not...

Caught in the Act

Well, not really, since you can't see him in the photo.

But my neighbor was up to his old tricks again... I tried to get a picture of him blowing the leaves, but his kids were playing in the front yard and I didn't want to get them in the frame.

And see the wet stain in the road? Right before he started getting busy with his leaf-blower (and that just sounds so wrong, doesn't it?) he dumped out a pail of water into the road. He walked out of his garage, down his driveway, into the road and crossed over to right in front of my yard... to dump out a pail of water.

What the what?! I just don't get this guy.

Or am I overreacting? Anyone else have any wacky neighbors?

Workin' for a Livin'

I can't remember how I came across this site, but I'm participating in Girl Talk Thursday for the first time...

"What is Girl Talk Thursday? It's a chance to gossip and giggle, to speculate, to say bad words, to down a margarita or rant (or rave)..." and each week there is a different topic.

Today's is "job venting".

I've held a few jobs since the age of 17, when I got my first job as a cashier in one of the local grocery stores.

I've also worked in retail (at a clothing store and a bookstore, the latter which I loved)... as a bank teller (and then teller supervisor)... and for the state's largest insurance company (first as a customer service rep before I was promoted to a position as a Regional Exception Technician. Of course, no one knows what that means... basically, I handled billing and membership for some of the companies largest contracts).

However, of all the jobs I've had... my current job is, by far, the hardest one I've ever done.

Yes, I am a stay-at-home-mom. I may not have a "job"... but I still work.

Between the laundry, grocery shopping and running other errands, menu planning, cooking, dusting, vacuuming and other cleaning, driving the girls to and from school, taking the girls to play dates, birthday parties and tumbling class...

Trust me, I have plenty of work to do.

"Oh, you're so lucky to be a stay-at-home-mom". Yes, I am. I know I am, and I'm very thankful I have this opportunity to be home with my girls. And I would not change it for the world.

But don't say that to me in a condescending tone, implying that since I don't have a "job", I must sit around all day, watching soaps and eating bon-bons. Please don't make the assumption that my days are easy. As I said, I have plenty to keep me busy. In fact, somehow it seems I'm busier now than I was when I had a full-time job.

If you have a job outside the home and have your kids in daycare, I don't assume that your kids are being raised by strangers while you escape to your job just so you can have some adult interaction. I understand moms have to work, or even want to... I've been there myself, working full-time with both of my kids in daycare all day.

And there are those in my own family... my own house, even... who think my days are a cake-walk. I think that's what stings the most...

And here endeth my rant.

Strike a Pose

Last Friday, Hannah and Michaela attended a birthday party for one of their friends. It was a spa-themed party... the girls had fun doing facials and fixing their hair and makeup.

After the party-goers finished getting all dolled up, it was time for their "glamour" shots...

Here's Hannah in all her finery...

And, Michaela...

wait for it...

wait for it...

Word.

No Chips Required

I want to learn how to salsa.

And I want to salsa to this song...

Who's with me?

The Obligatory Halloween Post

Despite being unprepared this year, Halloween went off without a hitch. After some discussion about costumes, Michaela ended up wearing the witch costume Hannah wore last year... and Hannah decided she wanted to be a hippie...

The girls with their Rogers cousins...

(Y'all, I about died when I saw my niece as Strawberry Shortcake. Do you not just LOVE her hair?!)

And here they are with The Boy and Ladybug (their cousins from my side of the family)...

Beginning to check out and sort through their haul...

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween!

I think I hear a Snickers bar calling my name...

Dear Daniel,

I love you, Dearest...

But, I'm begging you. Please shave the 'stache posthaste.

Love,

me

XOXO