Gift Card Giveaway!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you interested in winning a $10.00 Subway gift card? "Gilbert The Gift Card Machine" is giving away over one hundred gift cards in the month of December. It's all leading up to "Gift Card Weekend"! The Subway gift cards will be given away to Facebook fans who like "Gift Card Weekend". The cards will be given away from December 23-31. There's also an opportunity to receive extra chances to win if you get your friends to "like" them. So don't forget to refer the people in your social network!

Would you like to know more about Gift Card Weekend? 

"Gift Card Weekend" is an event that's held every year. (In 2012, it runs from January 6-8.) On that weekend, several different stores give special deals so people can spend the gift cards that they got for Christmas! The stores that participate in this fun weekend are JC Penney, Regal Cinema, Subway, Sephora, Applebee's, Bass Pro Shops, Adidas, Buca di Beppo, Lowe's, Spa Finder, Marriot, and Giant Eagle. 

Gift Card Weekend

You should definitely check the Facebook site regularly as well because they will be giving away gift cards all month and you don't want to miss out! 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, but I managed just in the nick of time. I think it had a lot to do with being able to visit my family on Christmas Eve.

Every year we try to get a decent Christmas photo of my grandparents’ great grandkids and every year we fail! This year was a little better than most because the kids are getting older. At least several of the kids were looking in the general direction of the camera and no one tried to get up and run away. So we’re calling it a semi-success!

I also got a photo of me pretending like I like Ronnie. Just kidding… We’ll be married eleven years in January and I love him more now than I did when we got married.

The kids acted out the nativity scene again this year. I took this photo right before one of the shepherds wacked baby Jesus in the back with a flyswatter. We try really hard to teach the kids the meaning of Christmas and this year my niece read the nativity story out loud while they all “listened”.

My Mom was very happy with the Keurig coffee maker that Ronnie and I bought. She’s drooled over mine every time she visits, so I knew it would make the perfect Christmas present!

I got a new sewing machine and super comfy pajamas from my Mom, two scrapbook kits and a razor from my grandma, and enough money to buy a new cushy office chair from my mother in law. Ronnie’s impatient so I’ve had the gifts he bought me for over a month. He got me my Keurig and a new iPhone. (You all knew that already though!)

Jordan got the American Girl doll that she wanted. She was so impressed with the doll and her wheelchair. She even told my father-in-law that she got everything she wanted. He told her that he could take the presents he bought for her back to the store, and she told him that would be fine as long as she could keep her Molly doll. Isn’t that the cutest thing ever?!

Alexis got her boots and she just had to put them on right away. I love how fashionable she is these days! All she wanted for Christmas was clothes and boots. I think we’re beginning to hit the teen years because she recently asked when she could wear high heels. (Not for a while yet!)

Brandon was thrilled with his Cars 2 game and a new DS! He didn’t even ask for the DS. Just the game… He’s also in love with his new yellow SpongeBob watch. It’s just too bad that we can’t figure out how to set the thing! So he randomly tells me that it’s midnight when it’s only eight o’clock in the morning.

Ronnie’s parents got him a birthday cake because his birthday is this week. Unfortunately, it had almonds in it and we didn’t realize until AFTER Brandon started eating it. I’m starting to think that Bubs was allergic to the penicillin in the antibiotic he was taking instead of the almond extract in the Christmas cookies we made because he didn’t break out when he ate the cake. Because he had such a severe reaction last week, we now have to carry an epi pen everywhere he goes. He still has hives on his arms and it’s an entire week later. Poor little dude!

On the way home from my in-laws’ house Jordan just couldn’t take it anymore. She fell asleep with her head on Brandon’s shoulder and then slid down into his lap. He thought it was funny that she was sleeping on him and at one point I glanced in the back of the truck and saw that he’d put his arm around her. He’s such a sweet brother! Smushed in the middle of two girls and he’s still smiling.

I squeezed in some scrappy time over the past few days. I thought I’d share the pages I created before I head to bed! It’s been a long day filled with sick, snotty kids. They picked up some kind of cold when we visited with our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

1: You + Me = Love

I found this older photo of my girls and it inspired me to journal about how they've come to love each other over the years.

Supplies:
Needs+Wants: Stitchies Vol.1 {The Crayon Box Collection}
Template Tuesday 48 by Lauren
baker's twine
Font: DJB Brittany
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Paper Pack One
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Paper Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Element Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Yours Truly Alphas And Cards Pack

2: Now Take Another Look

My cousin and I took my kids on a nature hike at a local state park. When Brandon was having a hard time seeing at the observation area, my cousin lifted him up higher. She rocks!!

I used my November Scraptastic Club kit and add on called "Autumn Splendor" to create this page. The only thing I added was a bit of Stickles and a strip of blue cardstock.

3: It Starts And Ends With Family

Another layout I made with my Scraptastic Club November kit and add on! The kit I used is called "Autumn Splendor" and it's gorgeous.

This page was inspired by Kimber McGray's "Colorful Personality" layout on page 92 in the January 2012 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Journaling: Oct. 2010 Jordan got up early to help me make apple + cinnamon muffins for everyone. She's such a great little helper!

I promise the layout is straight IRL. For some reason the green strip looks a little slanted, but it's not!

***I hope you all have a very happy New Year! I’ll be back before you know it with a new sketch and free template.

Slim Fast 3-2-1 Plan

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's about that time of year. The time of New Year's resolutions and promises to get healthier and more fit! This coming year, I'm focusing on becoming more healthy instead of just worrying about losing weight. I'm hoping that weight loss will be a side effect though! I'm trying to be more active and make better choices as far as what I eat. I'm especially intending to try some of the new Slim Fast 3-2-1 line of products. Slim-Fast

They have a new bottle for their shakes that's easier to take with you. You can tuck it into your purse or work out bag and bring a convenient meal on the go. I think that the Cappucino Delight flavor sounds really good! (You all know me and my coffee obsession.) Slim Fast hasn't limited their line to shakes either. They make yummy meal replacement bars as well. Slim-Fast

The 3-2-1 plan sounds really easy to follow. You eat three 100 calorie snacks that consist of snack bars, fruit, nuts, or veggies. You drink two shakes or eat two additional bars, then you eat one balanced 500 calorie meal. The meal has to consist of half of a plate of veggies, one quarter of a plate of protein, and one quarter of a plate of whole grains. See? Easy peasy! Even I can do that with three kids to chase around. In fact, it's probably easier than cooking three special low calorie meals a day.

Trust me, after spending the holidays with my family I'm going to need to diet! If you would like to find out more information about Slim Fast you can "like" them on Facebook. 

How Revealing!

I know, I said that I wouldn’t be back until after Christmas but I just couldn’t resist! Jessica posted the new peeks for the January Scraptastic Club kits and I just had to share them before things get crazy around here. (Is anyone else completely dreading assembling all of those new toys?)

The first kit is called Button Box and it’s adorable! I love the yellow and blue color combination. This kit feels really Springy and warm. Just what I needed in the middle of a dreary, cold Winter.

There’s also an amazing Button Box add on. I don’t know about you, but I’m really loving those wooden flags. They’re just so awesome!

The second kit is called Snow What Fun and it makes me wish that I lived somewhere it snowed. It’s that cute! My favorite piece in this kit has to be the snowy title stickers.

Of course, this kit has an amazing add on as well! Aren’t those chipboard accents so cute? Like I said, I totally wish I had a reason to scrap with this kit!

You can go to the Scraptastic Club blog or website for more information about ordering these kits. They go on sale on December 30th but you can get placed on the waiting list right now!

I also have a few layouts and projects to share before I go clean up around the house again.

1: Little Red Corvette

Ronnie FINALLY got to drive his Dad's Corvette. He said it was fun but since he is 6'4" tall he found it much too little. That got me thinking of the Prince song, and a layout was born. Ha!

Supplies:
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Paper Pack One
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Paper Pack Two
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Element Pack
Echo Park Hybrid's Times & Seasons Collection Alphas & Cards
Splendid Fiins Flea Market Brads
Fonts: CK Alayna, Fabulous 50's, and Hurry Up.

2: Louisiana Girl

I took a screen shot of Google Maps and saved it at a higher resolution to make this page about living in Louisiana all my life.

Supplies:
Garden Variety Candy Candy
Sweet Heart Collection
You Are Here Full Kit
Evidence-arrow stamps v1
Modified Template from Template Tuesday by Antonia Krajicek

3: Christmas Banner

I took Jessica Sprague's 2011 Holiday class and this is my finished box and banner. I decided to hang my banner on the Christmas tree when I was finished making it. I couldn't believe that it was 10 feet long when I was done creating. I loved the idea of putting photos of the kids from past Christmases on the banner. I finished just in the nick of time to display it for a few days this year!

Well that’s all for now, I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Sketch/Template #5 Freebie

Hi everyone! I'm back to share another free sketch/template with you. I know, I've posted them out of order but there’s a reason! You can visit the Ideas For Scrapbookers website today to see why if you’re curious.

Please feel free to right click on the image below and then click on "Save As" to save the image to your computer for later use.

I made two example pages to share with you. This page is digital and I made it with Cosmo Cricket's Dear Mr. Claus collection. I really had fun with all of the different banner shapes that I put into this layered template.

Last but not least, this is the paper layout that inspired the sketch. I used a ton of scraps from one of my Scraptastic Club kits to create this page. I'm a very budget conscious scrapper and I always try to use as many scraps as I can!

If you're a digital scrapbooker, don't forget to grab the layered digital template that I created in Photoshop Elements!

http://www.4shared.com/zip/hSu5w5gj/HL_Sketch_Template_5.html

Happy Everything!!

We celebrated Alexis’ 10th birthday this past Saturday. I absolutely can not believe that she’s in the double digits now! She asked me for lipstick and high heels for her birthday. I gave her flats and my sister-in-law gave her lip gloss. We’re calling it a compromise. I really wish she wasn’t in such a hurry to grow up.

I can remember being her age though and I felt the same way. I was in a huge hurry to shave my legs and wear makeup. These days you have to twist my arm to get me to wear makeup. I guess it’s a case of the grass always being greener on the other side of the fence.

I bought her this fun and funky Christmas dress and a nightgown with a matching outfit for her doll. I’m trying to have her hold onto being little for as long as I can. It’s not working well though. She already looks SO grown up!

Ronnie’s parents and his sister came over for her party. His sister decided to give the kids their Christmas presents early. She bought all three of the kids new bedding and curtains. They were ecstatic!

Jordan got a set with Rapunzel on it, and she pretended to sleep when I took her photo. She’s such a ham!

Brandon got a Cars 2 set and he couldn’t possibly have smiled any bigger. He tucked all of his stuffed animals in before he would lay down to go to sleep.

Miss Alexis got a more sophisticated pattern with hearts all over it. No characters for her anymore! She also got blackout curtains and that means she can sleep later. I had to roll her out of bed around 9:30 this morning so we could go to vision therapy.

The kids are all enjoying their Christmas vacation. We went shopping at Target today so Alexis could spend her birthday money! Target + 3 kids= A giant migraine. I’m just now starting to feel better. Sheesh!

Our Christmas tree is up and I’ve finished wrapping all of our presents. These kiddos are spoiled rotten! I am finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit because there are quite a few things that I can’t wait to see them open.

The kids have also gotten new clothes and goodies from my Dad and my Step-Mom. They also got new toys too, but the girls were especially excited about the awesome clothes. They are pint sized divas! Even Mr. Brandon is wearing accessories these days.

I got a new toy too. My Mom brought me this gorgeous teal and cream cruiser bike. I’ve been riding around chasing the kids on the street. They thought it was so funny to see me riding a bike, and they were SO impressed that I don’t need training wheels. Plus, they thought it was awesome that I could stand up and pedal. Mommy has tricks up her sleeves!

I have one post with a free template coming up in a few hours, and after that I’ll be back when all of the Christmas craziness is over. I would like to thank everyone for visiting my blog this past year! I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

New-Skin Products

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of New-Skin for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about your kids, but my kids are always into something. They are accident prone because they take after me! Poor kids. You can usually find them with at least a scrape or two and I always joke and say that I should buy stock in bandages. 

I've found a line of products that will help my kids when they have their little accidents! I recently found out about New-Skin. They have a liquid bandage formula and a scar fade product that would be very helpful around here. They also make a poison ivy treatment. I am highly allergic to poison ivy, so I'll definitely be purchasing it in the future. I love learning about new products!

Currently, New-Skin is holding a sweepstakes and you could win one of three great prizes. You could win a skiing trip to Breckenridge, Colorado or a tour of the botanical gardens in Atlanta, Georgia. There's even an amazing hiking trip to Yellowstone National Park up for grabs! Be sure to click on the link and enter quickly because the first 500 entries will receive a New-Skin waterproof container for free. 

New-Skin sweepstakes

I would love to go hiking in Yellowstone National Park! Which trip would you like to win? You can leave me a comment below if you would like to tell me. Also, feel free to share the link to the sweepstakes page on your blog or on your Facebook page. I'm sure your friends would love the chance to win as well. Good luck! 

 

 

Just Dropping By

I wanted to drop by today to say that I’m hosting the challenge on the Scraptastic Club blog this week. You have until the end of December to link your layout and the prize is a good one! Click here to check out the challenge.

I also wanted to let you know that if you’re at all interested in doing Project Life next year, Becky Higgins has a ton of information and videos available on her blog. She even featured one of the pages I made with her Project Life digital line. You can see that post here.

THE LONGEST POST IN THE HISTORY OF EVER

We’ve been up to a lot lately so please be patient with this super-long photo filled post! I was really glad to be able to makeover the kids’ bathroom with SpongeBob stuff last week. They were tired of the “Winnie the Pooh BABY Scheme” and were ready to grow up a bit. My friend Lisa sent me money to buy them a Christmas present from her and I used the money to make their bathroom a happening place to hang out. It’s not unusual to find one of them in there looking around. Miss Alexis was particularly impressed!

After all of that decorating, we had to run out the door to bring Jordan to her choir performance at the PTA meeting. This is her photo before she went in to perform. She looks a little nervous!

This is a video I took of her singing. The choir at their school is really big this year and they had groups on the stage and on risers on the floor. Miss Jordan gets a front row spot due to her wheelchair.

Red & Green

She was all smiles while posing with her best friend after the program was over. They were dressed so nicely and they looked like little ladies!

I was back at the school next day to watch Jordan at her Terrific Kids’ ceremony. She was selected as December’s Terrific Kid for being a kind, helpful, friendly person in class. This is her fifth year getting the Terrific Kid award and I could wallpaper my house with the bumper stickers by now. LOL

Jordan had a field trip on Thursday and she spent it with her best friend. Those two are like peas in a pod! I am really grateful that she’s found such a close friend. I snapped this photo seconds before her friend accidentally knocked her over. Ooops!

At this point, I was starting to believe that I’d never get a break from school functions. Brandon had his first ever Christmas performance on Friday. I was worried that he would be too shy to sing but he did it! I guess his love of music overcame his shyness. He’s a little like his Momma after all. Hehe

This is a group photo of his class! He’s a full head taller than everyone else in his class. He looks like a giant next to some of the tinier kids. I also happen to think that he’s the cutest in the class, but I might be a teeny tiny bit biased there.

In other news, I’m sick and tired of the cold weather. I miss my sun and warmth. Is it Summer yet?!

I am not sick of my iPhone though. I LOVE that thing. I also love cappuccino. Especially when it’s consumed at a surprise evening out with my husband and kiddos. Yum!

I spent the day with my Mom on Saturday. We watched the newest Twilight movie and then went shopping at Kohl’s. We had a really great time together! I spent the remainder of the evening working on wrapping presents and shopping online. These kids are insanely rotten.

Alexis and I got up early on Sunday morning to volunteer at Horses For Heroes in Folsom. It was a Christmas Benefit Horse Show and we worked at the cashier table selling food, raffle tickets, and t-shirts. Doesn’t she make a pretty ambassador?!

She also got to pose for photos with Santa Claus and her horse Kody. Kody was a very naughty boy and he kept eating the hay bales instead of smiling at the camera. At one point, he even stepped on Santa’s foot. My sources say that Kody is getting coal for Christmas!

Ronnie texted me while I was at the horse show to tell me that Brandon’s eyes looked pink. Sure enough, by the time I got home he had full blown pink eye and he was miserable. I called the pediatrician’s office on Monday morning and they got us in around ten.

I wore my new shoes that I bought from Kohl’s on Saturday. I promptly slipped and fell and busted my knees on the concrete floor in front of God and everybody. I was mortified and my new shoes got all scratched up. When I fell, Brandon yelled at me and said, “Momma, I told you not to wear those shoes!” Umm… yeah. That was helpful.

The doctor diagnosed him with pink eye and a sinus infection. He missed school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday but he went back today. This is what he spent his “vacation” doing. That child is SERIOUSLY iPhone obsessed. He’s worse than I am and that’s saying something!