Because we would all like to save a little money on toilet paper and facial cleanser

In this type of economy, it seems that cash is as precious as finding that big, golden nugget back during the California Gold Rush.

I've started clipping coupons. I even have an accordian file that holds all my free money. In the last money I've saved over $30.

I'm not even close to being the woman who has a grocery bill of $270 and only paying $45, but we're getting better.

Since I figure most of the people who read this blog would also like to know about good finds, I thought I would include this link to Proctor and Gamble.

On Sunday, March 1st they will have a savings book in the Sunday paper. These people make all kinds of products I'm sure you use. Toothpaste, dishwashing detergent, toilet paper, etc. In the last book I was able to save close to $20 on stuff we use everyday.

Just wanted to let you know about it. Might be reason to buy a Sunday paper.

Move over Bar Refaeli

We had a little photo shoot for our 2 year old. For the first time, she smiled, laughed and just enjoyed herself. Which is a huge change from the tears and reaching for me.

Here is what a really great photographer can do for you! Thank you Jessica. You made the whole morning great.

Tinkle, Tinkle Little Star

This weekend we decided to buy Zoe a potty chair. I don't think she's entirely ready to begin potty training yet, but I wanted to get her a chair that she can begin to feel comfortable with.

We went to the store, she tried out several chairs and we settled on a pink, Baby Bjorn throne for our little princess.

When we got home, she wanted to put on her fancy shoes and sit on her throne.

Now if only potty training will go this easily!

Three's Company

This weekend D & E came to visit. It is always such a joy to have them with us.

I came out of the bathroom Saturday morning to N sitting in the living room and no children. It was quiet.

If you're a parent you know they are up to no good.

Then a burst of laughter from D's & E's room.

All the covers were on the floor and we had three guilty smiles.

I'm with the band

Thursday night was the Kutless/Stellar Kart/Everlyn/Disciple concert. I had bought N some tickets and back stage passes at Christmas.

Then I came down with the double whammy sinus infection/strep throat fantasticness.

I couldn't be with the band.

Tears were shed. I may have even been in the fetal position as I fell asleep. I can't be sure.

N took our friend Shawn. They had a blast. By blast I mean N hasn't taken off his back stage pass yet.

As a good husband, he asked if there was anything I wanted from the concert. Like any scrapbooker, I replied weakly, "pictures!"

He took the camera and got some great shots.

Disciple and Kutless together on stage.

Disciple

Disciple

Kutless

Kutless

Kutless

Kutless

Kutless

Stellar Kart

Stellar Kart

The guys with the back stage passes.

A guy I've never met, Steve, Matt, Shawn and N.

Knock, knock, knockin' on death's door

It's been a tough couple days. I was hit like a semi truck with something unpleasant.

Namely a combination of strep throat and a sinus infection.

AT. THE. SAME. TIME.

I'm going back to bed to get some rest and hopefully let the antibiotics have their way with me.

Marvel-ous

I have some kind of super-hero, spy-ness in my blood. I was named after a Charlie's Angel and my favorite show was Wonder Woman. I even had a swimsuit that totally looked like WW's outfit, minus the golden lasso.

If that doesn't make me like 1 step away from my own super hero status, I honestly don't know what does.

It's no wonder I LOVE super-hero movies. These characters, in a sense, are my friends by default.

I will admit, I'm not big into the super-hero world, though. Like I know Superman's secret identity is Clark Kent. I know Bruce Wyane = Batman. I also know Peter Parker = Spidey. Popeye loves Olive Oil. The basics. What can you expect, I'm still trying to find my golden lasso!

Beyond that, I have limited knowledge. I have no idea that The Hulk and Spidey like their soda out of a bottle rather than a can. I can pretend to know this (like the soda), but I have no real interest in knowing the deep, dark secrets of the hero's past. I like watching them save the world and get the girl.

N, on the other hand, is a total comic book fanatic. He LOVES all the deep, dark secrets and weired ways that the heroes connect. You can give him any comic book character and he will give you a 20 minute lesson on who the secret identity is, how he found out he was a super hero, what he likes to drink, where he lives, his friends, the color of his bathroom, what time he was born, etc.

It's safe to say that my world of super heroes opened up 1,000-fold when I married. Prior to 2005, I had no knowledge of the X-Men or the Fantastic Four. I was totally missing out.

On Valentine's Day when N mentioned we should stay in and watch Iron Man I was totally game. A new superhero for me to learn about. Heck yes!

I will state for the record, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man was absolutely perfect. I think it's safe to say I have a new favorite super-hero.

Which is saying quite a bit since Wolverine is hard to top.

Maybe it's the gadgets and lack of bushy sideburns.

Maybe it's because Iron Man could totally make me a WAY cooler golden lasso.

American Idol: Toddler Edition

In our bath tub we have a chrome, emergency drain on the side of the tub. I hate them. They only allow your tub to become half full. That is crazy talk after a long day.

We have a second use for this drain. It is Zoe's mirror during bath time. She talks to that baby in the drain the entire time. She will even do some super model poses just to check herself out. The kid LOVES looking at herself.

Last night she serenaded the baby. She sang some song, complete with hand motions. What was even more amazing is that baby in the mirror knew all the same words AND hand motions.

After Zoe was done singing, they both clapped!

It was one of those moments where you wished you had your camera.

Her first original song!

We spent 90 minutes yelling for Mickey

Last night was Disney Playhouse Live. Those Disney folks really know how to put on a show. And charge a full annual salary for popcorn, shirts, flashy-glowy things, sno-cones and cotton candy.

We had a blast. Zoe LOVED Mickey and Pooh. She curled up on my lap at one point like we were watching television at home.

It was an absolutely fun evening. We enjoyed watching the excitement through Zoe's eyes. She sat for then entire 90 minutes just enthralled with all the Disney folks actually in the same place we were.

Thank you Grandma Kathy and Grandma Lily for enjoying the show with us.

Friday Five Faves - vol. 4

I am counting down the hours today. Tonight I have a hot date with a certain man in my life AND a certain little girl who continually steals my heart. We're going to Disney Playhouse Live. I would be lying if I didn't admit that part of my excitement is because I hope this will trim down the amount of Barney we have to watch going forward.

By trimming, I totally mean eliminate!

I love being able to take my munchkin to these types of things. I love watching her excitement. She truly enjoys every minute of life. It's such a great reminder for me.

On that note, I thought I would do a Friday Five Fave post on my little reminders this week.

1) A mother's intuition. On Monday my mom noticed a small rash on Zoe's tummy. It didn't seem to bother her and we did just switch lotions, so we didn't think too much of it. By Wednesday this rash had spread to about 85% of her little body. I decided we needed to see the doctor. She confirmed this rash is similar to what they see for kids with strep throat. Fortunately Zoe doesn't have strep, but she does have a significant ear infection.

It's never good when the doctor says significant. If I didn't listen to my mommy intuition, we could've totally missed the fact that she had an ear infection. Now she's on meds and on the road to recovery.

2) Little notes. N and I don't see each other during the week. Monday - Thursday takes us in two different directions. At first I think this helped us "ease" into marriage. Now, it's just plain annoying. While we both know it will pay off in the end, there are some times you just want to sit on the couch with your husband in the evenings and enjoy some time together.

This week he's left me a couple little notes just wishing me a good day. Even though we can't sit on the couch together in the evenings, it is heart warming to see a note on the counter for me. I think I've got a keeper!

3) Little hands. Zoe is turning into such a big helper. She will get her wash cloth in the bath and while she's soaking, she's cleaning the drain with her wash cloth while saying "help."

It is those same little hands that grab my hand as we run around the house or walk across a parking lot. They even grab my chin and turn my head toward hers for a kiss. I love those little hands.

4) Praying. I firmly believe in the power of prayer. While God's answer isn't always the same as we would hope for, He still answers. I've gotten quite a few e-mails this week about people who are sick or struggling. While I have no idea what road God will take them down, I know He hears me when I lift those things up to Him.

It has been put on my heart this week to begin praying for Zoe's future friends and her future husband. We may or may not know these people, but my prayer is they are the ones God wants her to have. The people who will bring God closer to her throughout her life.

5) Pounds and ounces. I have slowly been taking weight off these last 6 weeks. While I haven't had major weight loss, I've been steadily chipping away at it. I haven't always been the best at the dieting and this week I've not been fully interested in working out. However, I've noticed some changes to my habits. I don't crave sugar anymore. Don't get me wrong, a big piece of birthday cake is wonderful, but I don't HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW! My portions are smaller and my bread intake has decreased.

I'm counting all these things as major blessings!

6) I know it's a Five Fave post, but I have a 6th one this week! Perhaps it's because I'm trying to make up for some, okay half the Fridays that I've missed. I found a Quicken program online. It totally categorizes your spending and helps you save or pay off debt. How cool is that? I realize I'm probably coming late to this game, but seriously, I'm a little addicted to the site.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy your Valentine's day!

Boof

We have strong feelings in our house about the types of shows we watch and what we want to expose Zoe to. Typically N and I don't watch much television that we would truly enjoy while Zoe is awake, except Food Network every once in a blue moon.

We typically watch some Mickey, Pooh, Handy Manny or the Backyardigans.

At Grandma's house she has a different standard for her television. One that N & I aren't too happy about. We feel she's been warping Zoe's mind.

Her television viewing includes Barney.

N and I strongly dislike Barney for many reasons. Actually it has little to do with Barney or his dinosaur friends (except that BJ constantly calls Baby Bop "sissy" and I have flashbacks to Urban Cowboy). It mainly has to do with the major over-acting of the children on the show. They drive me nuts.

However, because Grandma doesn't have the same feelings about Barney that we do, it has slowly become one of Zoe's favorite shows. By slowly I mean overnight sensation almost equal to The Beatles coming to America.

Now when we ask her what she'd like to watch we hear, "Boof! Boof!" That is her word for Barney. When you ask about Mickey or Pooh, she shakes her head "no" violently. She needs Boof. NOW.

It hasn't been uncommon for me to hum the Barney theme song in the shower now.

N has been caught humming it too.

We are one "I love you, you love me" away from making sure that all dinosaurs are extinct.

We just keep telling ourselves it's a phase and way better than having to watch Tele-Tubbies. Like my sister!

Might as well face it, she's addicted to...

At church N was asked if he would start playing in the worship team. He plays bass guitar and they would love to have him play on Sundays. The only hurdle is they practice on Thursday evenings and right now N's in school.

They are willing to meet with him on Friday or Saturday evening to practice so he can play.

Can I tell you how cool our worship team is? They are some of the most welcoming and inviting people. It totally made N's day to be asked to play.

In fact he was so excited he came home and started practicing. He had a little help.

I wonder if the worship team knows N's a package deal?

She's a big girl now

Zoe's newest thing is wanting to sit at the table with us. Her high chair is good for breakfast, but beyond that she wants to sit at the table.

We have one of those high tables that have chairs the same height as bar stools, so I've been a little apprehensive to put her at the table.

This weekend we bought a booster seat for her.

Now she wants to sit at the table all the time. To color, to watch cartoons, to drink her water, to talk to mommy, etc. She is in love with her new big girl status.

Recap: The TWOrific birthday

I've been a little MIA on the blog. It's because I've been nursing a cold. If you know me at all, you know I basically shut down, whine and make N wait on me until I'm better. It's part of my charm.

I spent some time catching up on The Office this weekend and playing with Zoe. Because I'm still not 100%, I thought you all would enjoy some pictures from Zoe's birthday party.

The centerpieces. Every two year old need some centerpieces made of paper! Because I get a little carried away.

With her cousin MJ and her new trike. Which has become her chair for snacking and watching cartoons.

Getting ready to plant he seed. Before the mouth full of potting soil.

Our birthday girl. All hyped up on sugar!

I was blind, but now I see

For the last two days I've been seeing something off into the distance. I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me because I've got a cold and my drug of choice is NyQuil. I've been in some kind of stupor for a couple days.

Alas it's not the NyQuil, it's more scientific than that. It has something to do with the earth's gravitational pull and the rotations.

We have more sunlight.

When I come to work it's light out. When I pick up Zoe after work it's light out.

I think this could possibly mean that we are on the downhill side of winter. I don't want to say that too loud for fear I'll scare the sun off.

Can you tell I'm still in a NyQuil stupor? I think if I ever left Neil it would be for a cherry flavored bottle of NyQuil.

Apparently I also like writing it's name because I've said it 4 times in this post.

I realize I'm rambling but I can't breathe out of one nostril and I think the lack of oxygen to my brain is causing me to do some rambling on and on about nothing.

Like cold medicine.

Her palate is very refined

Last night I made cookies for a memorial service at church on Thursday. My mom is the memorial service director and has to round up food for the family meal and cookies for the fellowship time.

If you've ever had a mom that is the director of anything, you know you'll get a call to help. I'm happy to. This lady was charming, sweet and it was my privilege to know her.

I made the classic chocolate chip cookie for the fellowship time. Zoe noticed that I was making "tookies" and needed one.

I grabbed one that had cooled down the most and gave it to her. She picked a small piece off, put it in her mouth and immediately spit it back out. The chocolate chips were cool, but still mushy. Apparently mushy chocolate chips are not enjoyed by the 2 year old crowd. She spent the next 15 seconds trying to get that slime off her tongue.

Zoe's rules: Potting soil = good. Melted chocolate = gross.

We had a part-tay

I had no idea the toddler crowd could be such partiers. We had about 13 kids, including the birthday girl.

It was utter chaos. Yet completely fun.

We had a bit of some game time at the beginning. If you've never seen 13 children running and screaming, you're totally missing out. We thought it would be best to start off with that to work up their appetites.

Then we feasted on hot dogs a la picnic style. That can be either good or bad depending on whether or not your plate got eaten off of or stepped on as someone was running through.

After all the food we decided to open presents. Zoe got some really adorable things. Cute clothes, some books, some stuffed animals and lots of toys. She's still learning about opening presents, but her more experienced friends were more than happy to help her unwrap and even break in her newly acquired items. I'm not going to lie, there was a bit of a mob mentality going on during the present opening. I've never seen so many little hands clawing and grabbing at stuff.

We made it out safely and onto seed planting. What is a garden party without some flower seeds. Each child got their own little pot, a spoon to shovel the potting soil and some sweet pea seeds. The birthday girl was the only one to take a big spoonful of potting soil and eat it. She was also the only one to attempt to eat one of the seeds.

I think this year we'll be working on non-food related activities. Apparently snacking is too much a part of her every day life.

In an attempt to get rid of the potting soil taste and the fall-out from me freaking out and rinsing out her mouth, we did cake at the end. Plus there is nothing better than sugaring all those kids up and sending them home.

The birthday girl was a bit shy and preferred not to look at the crowd singing to her. She was more than happy to have a BIG piece of chocolate cake and eat it with a big girl fork.

It is safe to say the party was an absolute hit. I had as much fun as the toddler crowd.