Oh, Sky Mall, You Kill Me

After suffering through the majority of my return flight {from a very painful headache that hit me out of no where...don't ya just hate when that happens}, I started flipping through the pages of Sky Mall to entertain myself for the remaining 30 minutes {keep in mind that this was a 3 hour flight...yea, so much fun}. 

And, oh boy, was I entertained. 

Seriously, could someone please tell me who comes up with these crazy products. And then, who is the crazy person at Sky Mall that says, 'Hey, ya know what? I really think we should put this in our catalog because I'm just so sure someone will be insane enough to want to buy it as they fly through the air.'?

Yoga Sandals.

Really? If you're that concerned about improving your posture, then I would suggest not wearing sandals at all. Just a thought though. 

Litter Kwitter.

Potty train you cat faster than most people can potty train their kids....for the bargain basement price of $49.99. I think that people can potty train their kids cheaper than potty training their cat. 

"Peeing Boy of Brussels" Fountain

If I wanted to see a little boy peeing by my pool, I would just have to look over at my son. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will admit that Sky Mall almost had me hooked on a few things.

This chair/step stool combo is really quite awesome....there have been so many times that I have grabbed a chair to stand on because I was to lazy to go get the step stool. However, I am not inclined to pay $150 for this....you lost me on this one Sky Mall. 

I kind of really love this sign...and I'm considering making my own version, that would cost me less than $25 to make. {gosh I'm so cheap, complaining about $25. seriously though, if I didn't think I could make it myself, then I would totally just buy it}

Oh and let's just take a second to note the ridiculous Cast Iron Giraffe Paper Holder next to this lovely plaque. I cropped it out of the picture, but there are a few rolls of toilet paper around it's neck. 

I think this necklace is quite cute. It reminds me of a Thomas the Train video that Bubba watches on You Tube. The song repeats over and over again to Never Never Never Give Up. Although, the video is pretty annoying, I do enjoy the message. 

Well, this completes our first installment of 'Oh, Sky Mall, You Kill Me.' Stay tuned for my next trip {I have plenty of them this year} to see the crazy things I find. 

P.S. Please let me know if you, or someone you know, has any of these things. It would seriously make my day.  

Wonderful Weekend - in New England

I just have to start by saying that it has taken me 3 days to write this. It's so hard to get back into your usually rhythm after being away. Especially, when you come back to an even sicker kiddo than when you left. So, I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, and that it has taken me so long to get this one done! I hope you enjoy the snippets of my wonderful weekend!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This past weekend, I left the kiddo behind (for the first time ever), and headed up north for a Besties {yes, I'm an 11 year old girl and I use word's like "bestie" to descried my best friends} Weekend. Oh, and for a little party, also known as, my friend's BRIDAL SHOWER woot! woot! <-- yea, I just said that. {can you tell how excited I am for this lovely lady?}

Anywho, Silly and I arrived to snow showers, which was pretty awesome, even though it's pretty much rain, and rain = disaster for my hair. I didn't care, because it was some kind of snow, as opposed to the non-existent snow in Florida. {Imagine me saying these last two sentences fast and in one breathe.}

This lovely couple is the groom and bride to be. They live in the cutest little town in Connecticut, also home to 50 cent. 

Yes, that is his house.We definitely had to take the opportunity to be a celebrity stalker. {j/k. j/k. totally not a stalker 50. don't get a restraining order. thanks.}

Isn't Silly too freaking cute? 

Mama D 

We went to a little bridal boutique in CT to look for veils. Obviously taking pictures was more important. {seriously though, we found a pretty one, that was WAY expensive. darn wedding budget}

We had little "Welcome to New Hampshire" goodie bags waiting for us at our hotel from B's Mom. 

So adorable.

 As always, Silly ran out of time getting ready at the hotel, so she had the finish her makeup in the car.

Alright, seriously....I freaking love B's parent's home; and I am dying over the little town that they live in. If Hubby liked cold weather, we would be moving up there in a heartbeat 

That little house looking structure in the top picture is called a "shebana"{not totally sure how you spell that...so try your best to sound it out} - a combination shed/cabana. 

How cool is it that they have a not quite so little pond in their front yard?! I briefly contemplated trying to find some ice skates, but was quickly snapped back to reality when H told me that it wasn't cold enough for the ice/water to hold my weight. {thanks for bursting my bubble, friend}

Heading into the shower, but had to stop for a photo op in front of the house. 

Beautiful Mother and Daughter. 

Oh, those funny bridal traditions. H rocking her ribbon hat. 

 This little one is seriously adorable. I think I found Bubba's future wife....or at least his next serious long term girlfriend.

On the way home I spotted this, and really got a kick out of this guy's suitcase tag. Really, dude? It's not my bag? I had no idea. Thanks for letting me know because I almost walked away with it.

That was my trip in a nutshell. I had a fabulous time, missed Bubba terribly, but came back feeling recharged and rejuvenated. I have to say, my favorite part was sleeping in a bed all to myself...awwww the little luxuries.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend {and beginning of the week, since this is so late}, as well!

Wonderful Weekend (& Monday)

With Bubba being sick (and very cranky), the majority of this weekend was far from wonderful. It's definitely days like these that I miss Hubby being home.

However, Sunday ended up having a few good points.

I found these doors on the side of the road. I plan on making them into a headboard for our master bedroom. 

Something similar to this one I found on Pinterest.

And the only thing that seemed to make me Bubba happy this weekend was watching Cinderella...on VHS. Yea. You read that correctly. On VHS. DVDs are so 2011. 

So that was pretty much the good highlights of the weekend. 

Oh, I almost forgot, I did get a free two hours to go grocery shopping...woo hoo. 

Tonight a few of my Besties (best friends...if you didn't figure that one out) are coming over for dinner, and I am making these amazing Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos from How Sweet It Is.

And these Baked Avocado Fries from Adventures in Cooking. 

I also picked up this cute dress on clearance at Kohl's to wear to my other bestie's bridal shower this weekend. 

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! 

Hot Deal! - Woodstock Frozen Organic Veggies

I was in South Tampa today, so Bubba and I ran by the Greenwise Market to pick up the Woodstock veggies. And, oh. my. gosh., if you want to stock up on some frozen organic veggies, now is the time!

The most expensive (regular price) veggies are the Tri-color peppers at $3.29 a bag....peppers in general are quite expensive, which is why I don't buy them often (even though I really like them). I used to have  2 green pepper plants in my stacker garden but they died...that is a story for another time though.

 The total for the 4 bags came to $6.08. I used (2) $2/1 Woodstock FB coupon, and (2) $1/1 Woodstock Vegetables coupons (from Mambo Sprouts in December), and paid $0.08 for all 4!!! That is awesome for organic veggies! So head over to your Greenwise Market (if you have one close by), and score this great deal!

Word Cloud Art ~ freebie

While browsing Craft Gawker the other day, and found this post about a customizable super cute print from Tagxedo. {The original source comes from SugarSugar House}

Free prints really excite me. But, OMG, a free customizable print...I think I peed my pants in excitement. 

This is awesome for some very inexpensive Valentine's decor; but, you can choose from a variety of shapes. 

Now, all I need is a frame for these adorable prints!

So, what are you waiting for? Go make yours now. 

Publix All Natural and Organic Deals

Happy Friday! Hope you all have had a wonderful week. Here are the highlights of all natural and organic products from this weeks Publix Greenwise Market Ad (1/19 - 1/25), and the Yellow Advantage Flyer (1/14 - 2/3). Remember that Greenwise has their own deals not valid at regular Publix stores (with a few occasional exceptions). Please visit True Couponing or Southern Savers [some of my favorite sites] to view complete ads and coupon match-ups for Publix.

Yellow Advantage Flyer

> Newman's Own Salsa, 16 oz. - $2.00 ea. {2/$4.00}
        $0.50/1 Newman's Own Salsa printable 

> Cape Cod Potato Chips, 7-8.5 oz. (excludes whole grain) - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}

> Naked Juice Smoothie or Blended Juice Smoothie, 15.2 oz. - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}
        $0.75/1 Naked Juice Smoothie, 15.2oz. Whole Foods printable

> Gluden's Brown Mustard, 12 oz. - $1.39

> Bolthouse Farms Dressing, 14 oz. - $2.00 ea {2/$4.00}

> Larabar 1.6-1.8 oz. - $1.00 ea. {10/$10.00} 
       $1/3 Larabar or JOCALAT Bars Whole Foods printable

> Cascadian Farm Frozen Organic Fruit, 8-10 oz. - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}

> Cascadian Farm Frozen Organic Vegetables, 8-16 oz. - $2.00 ea. {2/$4.00}

> Cabot Greek Yogurt, 2 lb. - $3.00 ea. {2/$6.00} (remember that Tart & Tangy frozen yogurt I made??)

> Chobani Greek Yogurt Champions, 4 pk./3.5 oz. - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}

> Simply Asia, 8.5 oz. - $3.00 ea. {2/$6.00}

> Method Laundry Detergent, 50 loads/20 oz. - $11.99
        $1/1 Method item Whole Foods printable

> Method Dish Soap, 18 oz. - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}
          $1/1 Method item Whole Foods printable

> Save 25% on Any 1 Clorox Green Works Cleaner, 22-32 oz.; or Wipes 30 ct.
        $0.50/1 Green Works product, SS2 1/8, exp. 2/19
           $1/2 Green Works products (printable no longer available), exp. 2/18

          Coupons

              > $2/3 Any Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes, 14.5 oz.
                 Stack with $0.75/1 Muir Glen product, any flavor/variety (printable no longer available), exp. 2/3

              > $3/2 Any Cascadian Farm Organic Cereal, Granola, or Granola Bar, 6.24-17 oz. 

Publix Greenwise Market

BOGO

> Food For Life Ezekial 4:9 Cereal, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz. box - $5.97

> Choice Organic Teas, Assorted Varieties, 16 oz. box - $4.49

> Sunchips Multigrain Snacks, Assorted Varieties, 10.9 oz bag - $3.99
> Van's Natural Foods Waffles, Assorted Varieties, 7.5-9.5 oz pkg. - $3.15*
> Cascade Fresh Yogurt, Assorted Varieties, 6 oz. cup - $0.95
        MF printable coupon (when you register for newsletter)

Produce

> Organic Green Onions - $0.50 ea. {2/$1.00}

Grocery 

> Imagine Natural Creations Soup, Assorted Varities, 32 oz. pkg. - $2.50 ea. {2/$5.00}
          $1.50/2 Imagine products peelie, exp. 12/31/12

> Truvia Nature's Calorie Free Sweetener, 9.8 oz. box - $4.99
        $0.80/1 Truvia Natural Sweetener

> FoodShouldTasteGood Tortilla Chips, Assorted Varieties, 5.5 oz. bag - $3.00 {2/$6.00}

Frozen
> 50% off Woodstock Farms Frozen Vegetables, Assorted Varieties, 3 lb. or 10oz. bag 
        $1/1 Woodstock Frozen Vegetables (Mambo Sprouts printable no longer available), exp. 1/31

        $2/1 any product Woodstock FB printable (no longer available), exp. 1/31
Remember how I told you to hang on to that FB printable if you didn't get the BOGO butter before Christmas? Now is the time to use this one! I priced these out the last time I was at Greenwise, 10oz. bags vary $2.89 - $4.99 (depending on the veggie). At 50% off + the coupons, you can score some seriously cheap frozen veggies this week!


Additional Publix Deals


> Kashi cereal, Assorted Varieties, 10.4-17.5 oz box; Hot Cereal, 11.28oz. box; 
                 or Granola bars 6.7-8.4 oz. box - $2.99
        $0.50/2 Kashi items Target printable
        $1/2 Kashi Go Lean Cereals Whole Foods printable
          $1/1 box Kashi Soft & Chewy Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (if included) printable
        $1/1 Kashi Go Lean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble (printable no longer available)
          $1/1 Kashi Go Lean Cereal, 14oz. or larger (printable no longer available)
     Use (2) $1/1 Kashi Go Lean Cereal & (1) $1/2 Kashi items WF printable, pay $1.49 ea. 


> Crunchmaster Multi-grain Crackers, Assorted Varieties, 4.5 oz. pkg. - BOGO $3.19
        $0.75/1 bag or box Crunchmaster Crackers printable
       $1/1 bag or box Crunchmaster Crackers, SS 12/11, exp. 1/31
> Fage Greek Yogurt - $1.00 ea. {10/$10.00} 
> Jala All Natural Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches, 16 or 24oz. pkg. - BOGO $4.29
*> Van's Waffles are also BOGO at regular Publix

Unadvertised Deals

> Organic Green Beans, 120z. pkg. - $3.99

> Applegate Farms Organic Chicken Strips, 8oz. - $5.99

See Southern Savers for a complete list of Unadvertised Publix Deals

Inspiration Binders & a Free Printable!

As I flip through magazines - and I say flip, because I don't even remember the last time that I sat down and actually read everything inside of a magazine - I find myself ripping out pages, so I can reference later products I liked, crafty ideas, helpful tips, etc. 

The piles don't always look this neat.

What happens is I end up with piles of magazine pages floating around my house, never to be looked at again, just being moved from room to room, until I finally give in and toss them.

Today, I finally decided to organize all the papers. So, I gathered up a few binders, and got to sorting. Man, had I accumulated a lot of magazine pages. Every where I turned I found another pile. I definitely had to do some editing...and I still ended up with four binders!


Since I only used binders we had available in the house, I ended up with one that is black and doesn't have the pockets on the outside to holder the cover page. No worries though...I just used my handy dandy laminator to protect that paper, and taped it on the binder. 

The above picture is from my 'Home Inspiration' binder. It contains paint colors I like, room ideas, organization ideas, DIY decor inspiration, etc. 

After each binder was organized, I started messing around with Photoshop, and created a cover page for each of my binders. I'm such a beginner, so don't hate on my graphics. I downloaded the trial recently; although it has taken me awhile to figure it out, I am slowly starting to love it. 


Do you want a binder cover too? Well you're in luck, because I managed to figure out how to save it and get it onto the blog. And thanks to Classy Clutter {awesome blog, go check it out}, I have discovered a very easy way for you to customize the page using picnik. 

Right click on the above image (or control + click for macs) and select 'Save Image As.' Save it to an easily accessible location...like your desktop. 

After you have saved the image to your computer, mosey on over to picnik (sign up for free if you don't have an account), and upload the image to the site. 

Once the image is uploaded, click on the 'Edit' tab, then click on 'Text' (it is directly under the word 'Library').

Add your text to the box (which says "Type here and click ADD to place text"), choose a font, and hit ADD. You can change the font after the word is placed if you don't like it. Adjust the color and size of the word by using the 'Text Properties' box that pops up on the right side. 

When you are finished, click the 'Save & Share' tab, and save the image to your computer. 

I used white card stock (on sale right now at JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores, 50 pk. for $1.99).

Happy Organizing!

Toddler Tuesday

Bubba loves taking pictures. Often, I give him our old camera and let him snap away. This is the result of those times....

"Hi there."

"There my feet. Cars shoes...vroom vroom."

"Ice cream truck. Yummy."

"Ebby. Haha. Yea. Ebby =D"

"Das (That's) moon game and crown. No, my crown."

"Haha [covering mouth]. Das me! My bike. I race. I fall down."

He obviously didn't take this one, but I just had to throw it in the mix. Bubba participated in his first Strider race over the weekend. He had a ball...until the practice, when he fell coming down a very big hill. He refused to race the main event, but he did finish the track during the practice. We're giving it another shot in a couple weeks on a smaller track though. 

Furniture Makeover: Old Frames

I picked up these old frames at a yard sale for $1 each, and have been holding on to them for the right project.

I painted the large frame lime green to match the decor in my kitchen; and the smaller frame a neutral creamy white color (Mountain Grey - Olympic). When they were dry, I sanded over the paint to give it the shabby chic look, which I so love. Then, I sprayed them with a matte finish spray paint (Krylon).

I was inspired by this old frame (sorry, I can't find the original source). However, I wanted something that I could hang notes from as well, and I wasn't totally feeling the straight lines and wire. 

So I used jute twine, and criss crossed my way down the back of the frame. No rhyme or reason. I just kind of made up my design as I went; and I ended up criss crossing back up the frame to fill in empty spots. 

I just used thumb tacks to secure the twine. Press the tack into the wood, wrap the twine around it 2-3 times, tie a knot, {if needed} lightly hammer the tack down. I read somewhere to use nails, but Bubba was sleeping, and the banging was too loud (I certainly did not want to wake him up...I wanted to get my project done after all).

I'm not loving the blah-ness (not a word, I know) of the mini clothes pins. I'm thinking my next project will have to be jazzing them up. But I love the random old pictures I get to look at every day...most are random shots of people and things, but my favorite is of the Colosseum. My Great Uncle Bill took these photos, and I found them in an old metal tool box I have sitting in my living room. 

This one actually took me longer to finish. I think it was because I wanted each line to be perfectly straight and even. Such a pain! 

It doesn't have a home yet, but I'm thinking of putting it on the empty wall of our spare bedroom/office. 

What have you been working on these days?