Carving our Pumpkins!

Well I totally slacked on Halloween this year. I have no idea where my decorations are and we skipped the pumpkin patch this year. I normally am all about pumpkin carving and I buy a fancy kit and do some intricate design.  This year we used a basic knife and a basic design.  We did manage to carve our pumpkins tonight and they turned out great!

Getting ready to go! 

Putting these kids to work.  Amazingly mommy was the only one who got her hands dirty...

The finished product!  Not too bad. 

Couldn't resist this pic of Madeline showing off her belly!

The girls are SO excited for Halloween now.  We are keeping our pumpkins inside until Halloween night so they don't rot out in the heat before then.  It's strange living in the heat again during the Fall!

Tiny Prints 20% off sale!

If you love Christmas and sending Christmas cards, then you  have probably already been browsing through cards.  I already have a few cards that I love.  I used Tiny Prints last year and LOVED my card.  It was my favorite by far!  I love sending cards and love receiving them!

Tiny Prints is having a 20% off sale PLUS free shipping, now through October 30th.  This is a great deal considering the quality of their cards is awesome! Plus they review your cards before printing and contact you if there is an issue.  Excellent customer service!

Just use the codes:  Sitewide:  20% Off - OCT20SW | Free Shipping: FREESHIP12

Now get shopping!   Click here to get going!

Zoo Trip!!!

Today we ventured out to the Phoenix Zoo.  On half days Brooke only goes to school until 9:40 (why bother??) so I decided to get out for the day.  I guess I didn't think it would be too hot, but let me tell you when its 104, its HOT.   The good thing about it being hot is hardly anyone is at the zoo and you don't have to deal with crowds.  The bad part is that none of the animals are out because they are smart enough to be inside their air conditioned rooms!  Luckily the zoo has some splash pads and we spent the majority of our time there.  I ended up buying a yearly pass so we can enjoy it more when the weather cools down.

Here we are at the orangutan exhibit.  This lovely lady was hiding until we came up and then she ran up to the window!

I packed lunches which were a big hit and easy on the wallet ;) They had kid sized picnic tables on a lake with huge birds so the kids were very entertained.

Of course we had to ride the carousel.  Madeline chose to ride the lion and Brooke rode the zebra.

At the end of our day, we finally found the giraffes and ostriches.  Those were what they wanted to see and lucky for me they were in the same exhibit (and had shady benches with misters blowing on me).

Here is a bonus pic of Madeline at the splash pad. 

Overall we had a great day.  Of course on the walk to the car I had to endure the 5 year old "I am dying because I am so thirsty and tired" speech.  We only saw half of the zoo today but since we now have passes we can go back and see the other animals on another day (preferably one that is under 100 degrees). 

I'm back!!!

Whew! It's been a whirlwind summer for sure! We are all moved into our new house and things are finally settling down. This poor blog has been neglected. We just got our Internet set up last night! A month with only being able to use my phone for the internet was rough! So this week I plan to return to the blog world and get this baby up and running again!

Long time, no blogging

Hello!  I have not fallen off of the face of the Earth, even though it feels like it to me!  We have had lots going on!  Last month while trying to enjoy a nice glass of wine on a Friday evening, I dropped it.  Now that was devastating in itself, but I dropped it ON my laptop.  Yes folks, in about 3 seconds I fried my laptop with wine.  So needless to say I was trying to blog from my phone which was not happening.  I think I did it once and was super frustrated and gave up.

Then we had visitors for almost the entire month of July!  Busy time but great fun!  The kids had a blast with all of our visitors and activities we had going on.

As some of you know, we also found out that we will be moving soon! Curtis is taking a job with Audi and we are relocating to Arizona in just two weeks!  Busy busy busy!

So I hope to be back into the blogging world within the next few weeks.  I have a lot to blog about but  need some time to catch up on!

It's 5:15 and my kids are whining since its  the worst time of the day here so I'd better go.  Wish me luck as I head to Arizona this week to house hunt!  :)

American Girl trip #2

Brooke had received some money for her birthday and was dying to buy her first American Girl doll. Knowing how indecisive she is, I had her go online the night before and pick one out. This really did not work out well. After an hour of browsing online, we narrowed it down to four dolls. 

After walking through the entire store for an hour, Brooke narrowed it down to McKenna and a doll that looked like Brooke. Then became the internal turmoil of having to choose. Now she was not asking for both, just very torn over which doll to choose. Soon she was in tears sobbing on the floor of the store.  Luckily, a very nice man who worked there came over and talked to Brooke about each of her choices and what the differences were, etc.  Then once she said what she chose, he quickly took the other doll away and out of her sight.  This man was good.  I am guessing she is not the first child to have a meltdown inside the store LOL! 

Here we are on the LIRR heading into the city. 

First subway ride!

Standing in front of the McKenna display

Here we are narrowed down to two dolls.  She sat here for a good 30 minutes trying to decide on her favorite.

Soon she was crying.  Devastated that she could not choose. 

Here she is!  Finally happy with McKenna out of the box!

Tea Collection's 10th anniversary!

For 10 years, Tea Collection has brought worldwide cultures and modern design to children's fashion. To celebrate their decade of global inspiration, Tea has created a Tenth Anniversary Collection from their favorite pieces. Browse collections inspired from Japan, Brazil, Korea, Turkey, & West Africa! These adorable pieces are a must-have for back-to-school! Let your children travel the world with Tea Collection! Happy Shopping!