Merry Christmas

 

I took a little break for the holiday, but I am coming at you this week.. with a GIVEAWAY! In the mean time,…

will be having a new addition around the 23rd of May… he will be arriving a little earlier then his actual due date due to make sure that all is good to go!

… SURPRISE!!

Merry Christmas!!

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What is on your Holiday Wish list this year?

I have been checking out different blogs as of late, and thought that while I saw this as part of a giveaway that these are some fun questions just to ponder… so, while I am actually answering them, drop me a line, or post about your holiday wish list for this year.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

To enjoy each others company, and be full of gratitude for all the blessings we have.  For the great opportunities we have received as we have lived in Germany- the fun places we have visited, the culture that we have adopted, such blessings!

2. What is one of your Christmas or Chanukah nightly tradition?

On Christmas Eve we always gather up around the tree and read from the Scriptures about the birth of Christ.  It is important for our children (and us to remember) the meaning of Christmas is far from that of giving & receiving presents.  The gifts are just an added bonus!  After we have read, we each get to open up one present that may be already under the tree! Before we send the kids off to bed, we check to see where Santa is flying to see if he is close by!!

3. If you could ask Santa for one wish for yourself, what would it be?

I would ask Santa for enough money to be debt free, as cliché as it sounds, it would help alleviate a tremendous amount of stress in my life!

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

We speak of the meaning of christmas, and enjoy nightly games and hot chocolate! When it gets cold enough for snow, we go out and have family nights playing and enjoying the beautiful winters in Germany!

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

Growing up we played Scrabble, Monopoly, and Sorry! Sorry is now one of our oldest daughters favorite games to play!! 

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own  childhood?

The opening of one gift on Christmas Eve!

7. If price wasn’t an option and you could go away for the holidays where would you go?

On a fun family cruise away from the stress and daily grind of everyday life!

Hope that everyone is having a good Holiday Season so far… only 12 days left ‘til Christmas! May your holiday be full of love and laughter!

Am very excited…

I will be hosting my very first giveaway for one of my favorite companies in the next few weeks! Be on the look out, you won’t want to miss this!

In the mean time… 

I have to be honest, I am not that big on Christmas, it is a fun holiday for my children and my husband absolutely loves it, but… I can’t wait for December to be over with!  I am our families Grinch!! Year after year I try to find ways to get in the mood, its not that I don’t like giving, because I do, it’s just the fact that Christmas is much more about giving out expensive presents- its about the Spirit of Christ! At least for me anyway!

One way to cheer myself up over the fact that I am the “Grinch” is listening to Celine Dion’s Christmas CD“ These are the Special Times” She has the most amazing voice, I end up listening to “Oh Holy Night” over and over for the entire month of December…it drives my husband CRAZY!~

What are you doing to get yourself into the Holiday season?? Whatever it is, I sure hope you are enjoying yourself!

Tis the season to be Jolly…

-The Grinch

Look out the window and what do I see?

Our first snow of the year! What do you see when you look out your window? 

I have to say that having grown up in southern California, I never experienced a “true” winter.  I saw snow when we drove over an hour to see it, and having frost on our cars in the winter months doesn’t count as a white winter.  But now, living in Germany we get to experience all 4 seasons. Being the SoCal girl that I am, I really thrive in the HEAT…I NEED sunlight.  That is the one downside to living in such a snowy place for the winter. If it isn’t snowing it is either raining or its just overcast. 

My two girls love the snow, and now its finally here… its probably going to last a while! What is the weather like in your neck of the woods? Are you receiving an abundance of snow like Idaho and Utah? Or is it just chilly but sunny like San Diego? Whatever the case maybe, I hope you are enjoying it!!

A must have to make Christmas complete

At the end of every year I look forward to very few things. I really am not to keen on Christmas, once thanksgiving has come and gone I look forward to Easter… not Christmas. However, my Christmas experience would not be complete without English Holiday Crackers. No, not crackers you can eat my friends, but actual toys that go “POP” when you open them!!

This is my favorite holiday tradition. Of course decorating and getting all prepared for Santa’s delivering of gifts is fun and all, but nothing makes me happier on Christmas is popping open these and wearing the goofy crown that is made out of tissue paper and playing with the cheap toys inside! It has been the one constant thing at Christmas since I was born, and being a mother, this is something that I brought into my marriage! Our girls love it! and I hope as they grow older and the spirit of Christmas fills our home that they will continue to get as excited as they do now when they pop open one of these tiny Christmas treasures!

I am participating in Infarrantly Creative and Tatertots and Jello’s Blog Hop for a chance to win a Mint Cleaner. It is the revolutionary machine that cleans your hard floor surfaces for you.

Click here to join the blog hop and a chance to win!

The Mint Cleaner is available at the following places:

Amazon
The Mint Cleaner

HSN

Bed, Bath & Beyond

Thanksgiving is over, now what..

Thanksgiving was a fun day in our house, we had 4 friends over; one of which is a dear friend who was celebrating Thanksgiving for the first time! It was a long day of cooking, but having a helper in the kitchen sure does make the day go by nicely.  I could get used to having an extra set of hands during dinner time!  Only if they would help with the dishes! Well, with Thanksgiving over (can I say, THANKFULLY) its time to finish err start Christmas shopping!  Plenty of holiday sales going on for Black Friday, but even more great sales happening on Cyber Monday!

If you haven’t enjoyed a Cyber Monday well.. boy are you in luck because you can find some GREAT deals not just at your favorite stores, but also on some great blogs!

Here are a list of some of my favorite blogs that are having a “blog hop” Cyber Monday Event:

This Mama Blog Rocks

Fabulous Won

Girl Gone Mom

3 Boys & an Old Lady

Check them out, follow them, subscribe.. etc. before the event starts to receive extra entries for the giveaways that will be going on for the 24 hour Cyber Monday event!!

… I guess its about that time to start getting in the Christmas spirit! Birthdays, exciting announcements, St. Nikolaustag (for us here in Germany)… Christmas! Its going to be busy December!

Its that time of year…

I love to cook, better yet, I love to bake! So, in light of the holidays coming up I decided that I would give a new recipe a try and make a “practice” apple pie if you will.  I have made some yummy apple pies in the past, but what makes this one so special is that it’s a Rosette Apple Pie! What is a Rosette Apple Pie you say? It is an apple pie that looks like a rose! Totally clever!

I got this saweet recipe from Household 6 Diva and had to try it..

Totally simple recipe, with a beautiful outcome, anyone could do it!

Now, you can either make a pie crust from scratch, which apparently is really easy, I however have never made one so, I am gonna go with its really easy.

Should you want to make your own Pie Crust these are what you are going to need:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
• 1/4 cup ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

           *courtesy of allrecipes.com*

BUT, for you folks out there who like to do it the “lazy” way, go get yourself some premade pie crust, I happen to love Pillsbury’s unroll and fill pie crust.

Now, on to the rest of the pie:

5-6 apples (I would recommend Granny Smith or Pippin apples)
-slice them on the stem axis
-thinly slice them again
-boil them in water until flexible (2-3min) *DO NOT over boil*
-blot them dry on paper towels
-place them in the crust, saving the most flexible pieces for the center
-use broken pieces for the center
 

*apples boiling, remember do not over boil them, or else they get very very mushy.*

In a skillet over medium heat add 4Tbs butter, 1c. brown sugar, and 1/2tsp. cinnamon.  Once the ingredients have mixed nicely poor over the apple pieces.

and after baking at 425*f for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is a nice golden color,…  TA DA!!!!

Ok, my pie crust design isn’t the greatest, but the Rosette looks beautiful doesn’t it!?

Enjoy it warm with some vanilla ice cream, or just by itself!

Fishing the ‘net to score you some sweet deals… this time its OLD NAVY!!

Only 2 days left of the 3 day sale that OLD NAVY is having!! You can find some nice warm winter clothing which, where I live, I am defiantly going to need!  This California girl can hang with the best of them but, when it comes to single digit weather and negative degrees.. she needs to be WARM! So I love Old Navy, nice cute clothes, at totally affordable prices!

Right now, they have everything from Women's Faux-fur hoodies for in a variety of colors to Performance fleece sleepers for the kiddos! They are a must have in my house! I loved them growing up and happened to think that they are one of the best inventions ever made!

Everyday FREE shipping on orders over $50.00! Hope you find some sweet deals, cuz I know that I am for sure hitting up this sale!!

Gymboree is having an awesome sale!!

Check out Gymboree online or go into your local Gymboree store to check out some amazing sales happening right now!! Everything is 25% off, and jeans buy 1 get one 50% off!!


If you choose to order online it’s a flat rate of $5.00 shipping!

Starbucks Holiday Drinks: Buy 1, Get 1 Free

I don’t drink coffee, usually, but every now and then when I have a bodacious migraine I tend to bust out and get a cup of joe.. when I don’t need a boost to get through my pain ridden day I like to sit back and enjoy a niiiiiiiiice cup of hot chocolate! There is no better time of year in my opinion to go to Starbucks, and between November 18th-21st you can buy any Starbucks Holiday drink, and get one free.  So, why not indulge yourself into a nice cup of Peppermint Hot Chocolate.. its my FAVORITE! 
 

Click here to grab the new Starbucks coupon for a FREE Holiday beverage when you buy one, remember is only valid between the 18th and 21st of November!! So, gather up some of your friends and get a little warmer with a nice cup of your favorite Starbucks holiday beverage!

*thank you to: Bargain Blessings for the Starbucks coupon*

Jamberry Nails

So, for those that know me, I love color and am full of spunk!! When I had a job (other then staying at home and taking care of 2 ninjas) I used to go get my nails done every 2 weeks! IT was a must for me, my little splurge if you will.  I had the cutest girl that had been doing my nails and I just loved her. 
I used to get lots of different designs on my nails, and although they looked airbrushed she used to do it all by hand! I had every holiday covered and anything else I wanted in between; she was just fantastic.  Well, with the realization that we were going to be moving to Germany, and that I would be officially becoming a stay a home mom, I decided to stop having my bi-monthly splurges and just start doing my own nails. It would cut down on some major costs and we would have a little more in savings when we finally got settled… well having lived in Germany for nearly 2 years I had ust been sticking to solid colors on my nails. so, utterly boring to me. But, I stumbled across these Jamberry Nails one day while searching the internet! 
What are Jamberry Nails you say?

Jamberry Nail Shields are the newest way to accessorize your fingers or toes. Get your own unique professional nail design and say goodbye to nail polish.

This new nail treatment can be applied in just 15 minutes at home.  With over 60 styles available these designer nail shields are made to last up to 2 weeks on fingers and 6 weeks on toes.  Unlike traditional nail polish they won't chip or stain the nail and require no drying time. It's so easy to achieve a look that was once reserved to the professionals.
With many celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Rihanna already wearing unique nail designs, it is quickly becoming a fashion "must have."

Jamberry Nail Shields are a solid film covering that can be applied directly to the nail to achieve a look not found anywhere else.  This special material is both pressure and heat activated to create a water tight bond to your nail. The film is finished with a high gloss protective layer that prevents your nail shield from chipping or scuffing. * taken directly from jamberry nails website*

I just HAD to try them! They have such a wide variety of nail shields to choose from, I had a hard time selecting.  I finally decided with the Pink Grey Argyle… and was so excited to try them out!  The hardest part about living overseas is waiting for the mail to get here… but 7 days later, they had ARRIVED! 

So, with all the excitement I set out to do my nails! They arrived in a small package (above) and had the instructions on one side and the nail shields on the other. I have very wide nails, so looking at the product before me I was happy with the many different sizes I was to choose to best fit my nail. I also knew that just like getting acrylics on your nails, you can always trim to get the best fit.

I read the instructions they provided and then also watched a video online, just to ensure I was doing it correctly:

jamberry nails shield application

It was so easy! I had so much fun just sitting in the bathroom enjoying my “mommy time” and after about 30 minutes.  It would probably have gone a little faster if I had had one of my girl friends applying them for me, but I was in no rush!!  Because I was just “testing” the product if you will, I only did my fingernails.  I also thought it might be a little more difficult to do my toes by myself!
The final product:
 


Applying the nails was relatively easy.  I won’t say that it was perfect, although again, it would have been easier if I had someone else doing my nails, just like it is always a little easier to have someone else paint your nails for you.  I found the nail shields to be incredible flexible and easy to use, the only downside I had was, the edges at the crease of my nails did tend to pucker a bit.  All I had to do was then turn the hairdryer on and get them warm again, and using the cuticle pusher or orange stick push the nail shield into the curves of the nails.   One thing that I would recommend (and they do, on the how-to video) is not to touch the adhesive to much, try to avoid it as much as you can. Heat and pressure are the keys to success!!  
They should last on your fingers 1-2 weeks (depending on how active you are) and on your toes, anywhere from 2-4 weeks.  The video offers a few tips to keeping the nail shields on a little longer, such as applying nail glue all around the edges of your nail bed, it isn’t necessary, but it will keep them looking good a little longer! When wanting to remove them, all you have to do is apply a little heat, and pull away from the nail- its THAT easy!
I would recommend this product to anyone! My 6 year old can’t wait for me to try them out on her nails!! I know that this is a must have in my house now!

Once upon a time…

So you have to start somewhere, right?? Well, I love to write, and there is no better place for me to do it but online.  The raw truth about life, about products, music, television shows … just about anything… ok well, I will leave out Religion and Politics. That’s the safest bet!

I am married to a wonderful United States Marine, currently have 2 girls, a kitten, and 2 overly fat cats.  We are currently living overseas, and what a blessing it has been. Challenging at times, but by far one of the best times of our lives. We have been through a couple of deployments and thankfully have not had to be separated during this tour overseas.

I love to write, to read, to inspire, to play outside with my daughters, to sing (when no one is listening, of course), I love to dye my hair, a bit of a punk-rocker at heart… even a little bit of a hippie if you will.  I love colors, and I love spunk! I am blunt, to the point and respect people who don’t think the same way as I do! If you want honesty, you’ll find it here, I don’t beat around the bush!

I am very devoted to my family, as I see it is my number one responsibility BUT.. with that said, I do need “Mommy time”. To chill, listen to my jams, and not hear the girls fight over who has what Barbie!

I hope you find this micro speck of the internet a place of fun, laughter, and extremely good commentary! I encourage you to speak up, be yourself and love yourself!

One Love! ♥