Yankee Candle Coupon

Do you like Yankee Candles?  My friend Challice gave me a coupon for $10 off a candle.  That's a GREAT deal.  My coupon expires 11/21/09.  I think I'll get one with one for Thanksgiving week when company is here.... make my house smell purty!

Are you a fan?  What is your favorite flavor?

Bad Day? Watch this... feel better.

My boys think this is so funny they are imitating her.  The want to watch it over and over again.  Oh me... I think I'd crawl the rest of the way.

Rainy Day Hulu. Who Knew?

Thursday was a rainy cold day -- so my kiddos watched Harold the Purple Crayon on HuLu.



We had never seen Harold and the Purple Crayon on TV... how fun.  No commercials during the show.  The ones we saw were at the beginning and the end and they were for things like iPhones.  Very family friendly.

Do You HuLu?  What is your favorite show?

Photos

I have't been able to use Picasa to post photos for a long time.  Blogger doesn't seem to care -- people have been having this trouble since June 2009.  Crazy.

Where do you blog?

Where do you recommend I switch to?

What features do you love the most over there?

Can you hear my frustration?

Granola

My friend Debra recently gave me this granola recipe.  It's GREAT!!  I made a double batch this week -- and I thought of you... my blog readers... I bet you'd love this recipe too!  °Ü°  So you know me... I love to share.


We eat it on yogurt, or as cereal... or just plain, actually -- it makes a great snack!!


5 cups of quick oats -- OK -- so I use the old fashioned oats I get from the co-op
1/2 c dry milk
cinnamon - I put tons on
3/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 c honey


You can add almonds or nuts of your choice, or dry fruit, or flax seed.  I had nothing exrra -- so I added nothing.   OK -- so I had flax seed, but I was too lazy to grind them.


In a baking pan, mix oats, dry milk, cinnamon, nuts or flax seed, if you choose.


In saucepan mix brown sugar, EVOO and honey.  Bring to a boil, pour over dry mixture, stir well.


Then bake in 350° over for 20-25 minutes ( or longer).  Stirring about every 5 minutes.  To help me with this -- since I am easily distracted... I use 2 timers.  Yes I do too.... quit laughing - but my granola doesn't get burned that way... so there.  


Take out of oven add dry fruit pour out unto waxed paper then cool.  .  Store in airtight container.


It will take about 20 minutes to crunch up... but it will.  Don't eat it all while it's gooey -- it's even better crunchy.  LOL


So -- now tell me how you use granola?  Do you make your own?  What do you add to it?  


ENJOY!!  We love this recipe and hope you will too.

Thanks Debra.

Danielle's 6th Birthday

Danielle turned 6 this year... so you know what THAT means.  She got to have a friends party.  Really crazy -- when I started that rule, I had like 1 kid.  So I never dreamed we'd have a kids party at our house only 2 weeks apart... but that's is what happens when one turns 10 on 08/31 and one turns 6 on 09/15.  THAT my friend is 2 weeks apart.  That is why I haven't blogged about it yet... I'm just now recovering from that much activity in such a short time.  LOL  

They DIDN'T even attempt to swim in September... the water was COLD... so they just ate ice cream cake instead.  LOL  She wanted Subways from Subway - of course, and a DQ Ice cream cake.  A totally CHOCOLATE ice cream cake.  That's my girl... it was delicious.   We normally do a normal home made cake, like you saw that Milo's was.  But for friends parties... we splurge.  In only do them when they are 6, 10 and 16... so you know... that's spread apart... right?  :sigh:  Just about broke the bank... but that's ok... how often do we have a friends party anyway?  I've already figured that the next one will be in 2 years... when Wayne turns 6... then 4 months later when Milo turns 10.  LOL  Look at that... 2 more again in the same year... at least it won't be 2 weeks apart.  Oh wait... 2 more years... Tori will turn 16... in August.  June, Aug., and October... friends parties.  I'd better start saving NOW.  

WHO THOUGHT OF THIS RULE ANYWAY??  Me...

But you know what?  All I have to do is look at that grin on that little girl's face up above and it's all worth it.  Right?  Right.  

Milo's Birthday

Please ignore the pudgy woman in the video -- I'm not sure how she got in my dining room.  

Milo turned 8 on the 17th.  I'm such a spacey mother that I only put 7 candles on his birthday cake.  What is wrong with me??  See -- I told you yesterday I didn't want my kiddos to grow up -- I'll just put less birthday candles on their cake every year -- see if that keeps them from getting older.  I doubt it.

Well Grandpa and Grandma... enjoy the singing.  (Especially loved Wayne's, "And any more.")


Untitled from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

Mansel's Party

Mansel turned 10 this summer.  We have friends parts at ages 6, 10, and 16.  So -- he got to have a friends party.  He was so happy.













We have a swimming pool... "easy peasey... we'll have a pool party", I thought.  Just so happens it was FREEZING that day in August.  We had the weirdest summer weather this year.  So... they just did a polar plunge and then played around a bit.  One boy played in that COLD water for a really long time.  Maybe too long?  He was practicing floating... his mother would be proud... isn't he doing a great job?  

Several friends brought  their appetites.  We had pizza, chips, dip, gatorade and ice cream cake from the DQ.  It was a BLIZZARD cake... oh my heavens.  They are delicious!  


Other friends brought their air-soft guns.  They shot at targets until the pizza was done cooking.  Then Mansel opened presents.  After that he took his new air-soft gun outside and joined the fun shooting at targets.  


I'm pretty sure Mansel had a good time.  I can't believe he is 10.  Something I noticed about him tonight... while we were watching football -- he could make intelligent comments about what was happening during the game.  :sigh:  I just am NOT OK with the fact that my kids are growing up.  I want them to remain babies... until they are about 21... then they can immediately grow up and leave me in peace.  LOL... I know -- won't happen.  So -- if they must grow up -- let's celebrate with some pizza and ice cream. °Ü°

Danielle likes to entertain us.

Danielle and the tunnel from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.



Does she entertain you as well?  

GO HAWKS!!

http://dev.kiicradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/magic_man.mp3

Kara is a big fan... cute song, can you hear it?

Who are you rooting for today?

Me?


The Iowa Hawkeyes!!  

Sing With Me

I get to see my Sister
On Wednesday
On Wednesday
On Wednesday
I get to see my Sister
On Wednesday Afternoon!!

La la la la la laaa etc...

Woo Hoo!!

10 Free Tests

These are not your vision test, or your driving test, or your speed test... But they are free...if you are in the market for such a thing.

Just thought I'd be nice and share... some day you can come back here and let us know if you passed the test or not.  ;)

Are we HomeschoolED or HomeschoolERS?? You decide

My friend AMBER (who is a Public School Teacher) says, "You mock yourself... so we feel free to do it too."  (or something like that).  I think we are HomeschoolED...




But will you let me know if we are HomeschoolERS!!?? I have a few friends who may buy our coulottes and camo from us.

FREE $200 Gift Card

I bet you thought I was going to give away a gift card... I'm too cheap for that.  Sorry --

Wowza!!  Here is a girl, and her name is Stephanie.  I don't know her from Adam... but she is giving away a $200 gift card to Best Buy.  

I don't really need anything from Best Buy... but I'll take it anyway.

You know me... I love free things.

If I blog about it -- I get a 2nd chance. So - I'm just using you readers... I'm using you to get a 2nd chance to win something free.  Isn't that horrible??  Why do they ask us to be so deceitful?  Well -- I'm just gonna tell ya -- straight out.  I'm using you to get a 2nd chance to win $200.

How does that make you feel?

After you tell me... head on over to Stephanie's at Totally Together Reviews and sign up for YOUR chance to win the gift card... then you can blog about it and get a 2nd chance.  LOL  Unless you are my friend BETH who only reads blogs and doesn't actually HAVE a blog... then you only get one chance.  (I've been nagging  telling her to get a blog - so I'LL have something to read!)  °Ü°

Oh, I lied -- you can twitter about it... or what ever it is that you call it.  You know -- that place where all the twits gather.  I don't twitter.  It used to be a bad thing to be called a TWIT... now everyone must want to be called a twit while they twitter... who knows?  Not me.  So -- I won't get three chances to win, because I'm not a twit.  But if you are -- then you can have even more chances of winning.

What are you doing here still reading???  Go sign up.  You've only got until November 15th.

If you read only the BOLD and ITALIC words... it can read as quite funny, actually.  If you don't have anything better to do...

Bow the Knee

THIS is my favorite Bow the Knee song!! (by Ron Hamilton)

I'm going to sing the other version with my friends from church -- I can't wait!! Beth, Tanya and I will be singing the OTHER Bow the Knee. (by Chris Machen and Mike Harland)

1989 CHS Football Team Remembered... some more.

FIRST -- there was an assembly. They honored the team... those who could still fit in their old jersies wore them... the rest let their kids wear them. LOL Or their wife -- I wore Dan's. First time I ever did that. I think his girlfriend wore it in 1989, and I wasn't his girlfriend then. I washed it first... got rid of those ex-girl friend cooties.

Each player got introduced... the current football team stood in honor of them. I'm a sap -- I thought that was so COOL!

We got to hang out with the team and EAT. This is Mr Cain... from Cain Super Sires. No lie. We ate some of that pork... and it's good eatin, I tell ya.

What do you think they are doing here? Can ya guess??? Watching tapes... tapes of the old games. Oh me.. it was funny. There were shouts of "WHO'S FLAG WAS THAT??? " A long touch down run... only to not count because of a flag thrown. It was FUNNY!! These grown men can remember minute details of those games played 20 years ago. I'm so glad my man has good memories to talk about, with good friends. We still get together with the Lanes, pictured in the rust colored sweat shirt. We see Mr. Milledge some too... he is critiquing the game with Dan here.

The wives wanted pictures of course... so we gathered them around. Coach Hoskins was crazy leader of the team. He is a good motivator! They let him sit in the chair. They were having fun!

Do they look like a football team? Sure they do... good job guys!! You can be proud of your effort!

1989 CHS Football Team Remembered

I must confess... when Dan starts talking about his

football days... my eyes glaze.

Oh come on... am I the only wife that does that?

In fact -- I've been known to call my dear husband Al Bundy.

Friday -- I got an education on my husband's football career. His team in 1989, was the first team to get the the State Champion play offs for his school. The First EVER! Wow... how exciting. "they" say that their team lit a fire and started a tradition of excellence in football at Chariton. How cool is that?

1989 Chariton High School Football Team Honored from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.

Friday we went as a family to the CHS Homecoming Assembly, where the team was honored, then we went to the parade, then ate dinner with the team mates who came back home to remember, and then on to the football game. One of the coaches said he will get out the 1989 tapes to show the current team, so they can see what it takes to be a winning team.

I'm glad they kiddos got to see their dad in his prime. Honored, remembered, lauded, praised! What fun. The video is long, but it's mostly so his kids and I can remember this day.

Hair Cuts

My girls got hair cuts.

Dani was the first. She has been begging to have her hair cut like Fran's -- the organist at our church. So -- I did it. I googled "how to cut short hair." Found the word pixie... and then went from there. Apparently Pixie is what it has been called for a while... a friend from church said her mother gave her a Pixie hair cut and she didn't much like being called a "young man."

When I asked Dani about that she said, "I don't care -- I like short hair." We need to call her Danielle to strangers... because if she is wearing her soccer gear and this pixie do... it's hard to tell sometimes.

To me her face is so beautiful, that I would never confuse the issue... but I'm her mommy! Ü

Then there is Tori -- she saw Dani's cute cut... she wanted one too. So -- her long locks are long gone, and she's a pixie too. I really like it. Much faster to get "done".

Here Tori, Milo and Mansel are pictured wearing their dad's old High School t-shirts and jersies. #34!! Go Chargers!!

Tomorrow -- you can see the video of the 1989 CHS Football team being honored at the 2009 Homecoming Assembly in Chariton. Pretty neat.

Blog Recommendation

I have friends that like to READ blogs, but don't like to blog themselves. I understand that -- so I'm doing the readers a favor today. If you are a reader... you need to check this one out.

PrairieFrog Blog... one of my favorites. This week she posted some AWESOME pictures of treasures her children found.

If you read her blog -- don't forget to comment -- I know... bloggers love comments. °Ü°

Do Not Call

Just a reminder...

We recently got a new home phone number.

This winter when Dan's hours got cut we tried to find ways to cut spending. So we decided to eliminate our home phone and the internet and only use cell phones. WELL... IowaTelecom came out with a great deal. $30 for high speed internet and a free home phone line. Crazy cheap, if you ask me.

So we are reducing our cell phone minutes and getting internet at home again.

With this new home phone number came TELEMARKETERS!!! It was amazing how soon they started.

You know -- you hear the weird pause... then they start talking a mile a minute before you can hang up on them.

With one young man this week I said, "Are you a telemarketer?"

He replied... "Well -- sorta."

I said, "Oh, you know I'm not interested."

He replied, "Yeah - I know," and laughed. I laughed with him and said, "I'm sorry."

LOL!!!

So I came looking today for the "Do Not Call Registry"... found it... thought I'd share it. It's permanent now... remember it used to be good for only 5 years. Well -- now it's for.eh.vah! Poor guys...

Yet Another Colorado Moose

Since we don't have moose in our backyard in Iowa -- we find the Colorado moose so facinating. Ignore the commentary -- better yet... shut your sound off... unless you find bathroom talk hysterical. :rolls eyes: Boys...

Drinking/Eating Moose in Colorado Lake from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.