Wednesday Weekened Wrap ... Slow Down and the Green Monster will get you ....

So this weekend I took every ones advice (yes all the shouting has finally sunk in). Friday was a laid back night, Rick was still out of town so it was just me and the boys. Well at first it was just Caden and Roy. My parents picked up Cole before lunch from school and took him all over! I love my parents and the things they do, but man can they take him during a day I have him not when I'm at work ... LOL. And yup as soon as I got home they dropped him off! Oh one day it will be just a me day! Well I guess I got some grocery shopping in with just two kids.

Saturday was a super nice day it started out of course at 5am with work, when I was talking my voice started to get froggy. As the morning progressed so did the froggy, well I guess by mid morning it may have been a bullfrog! It was a super nice day and the neighbor kids were out so the Cole and Roy went over there. That was the 1st time I have let Cole leave our yard to play, not that I don't trust the neighbor, well the previous ones that would be the case but FINALLY we got some nice ones with kids not too much older than Cole. Yeah so for 4 hours they played and I only had Caden with me. It was wonderful I checked emails and even did some needed catch up entering giveaways ... what I don't just have them I enter TONS of them!

By the end of the day I noticed my throat was hurting but since I didn't have to yell at any kids I didn't notice until Rick called to say he was going to be late ... yup who didn't call that one? Well at the moment I realized that I had no voice ... WTF, I take a easy day and everything goes to pot! So I had to call in or I should say IM that I wouldn't make my shift for the call center ... which killed me I hate not being the one you count on. I did go to bed and sleep a wonderful night, well that was until early Sunday AM when the boys decided mom needed to be up and of course dad didn't come home until 3am, so guess who gets to the duty. I did however curl up on the couch and relax, well between making breakfast for everyone. I got a late start but that was nice for once. Even though I ran to Wal-mart yesterday I forgot some fabric so I took Caden and off I went. I even went home and laid down again ... yup not feeling up to par. I finally got my butt in gear and headed to my friend Rachael who is an amazing knitter was so kind to help me out. I have a new review/giveaway to be up hopefully if I get my butt in gear up on Saturday. It was one of those easy you can make this name pillow which if you sew would be no problem at all. My vas knowledge from High School Home-ec did not come with a huge amount of detail! As I proved when I showed up missing one of the key items needed!

Yup that would be me, what you mean I don't need just fabric and batting? Oh yeah thread, webbing, stabilizer and all the other tools! Thank the lord Rachael had almost everything, but some of the webbing so a quick run to JoAnn's, we got some webbing and oh yeah look at that super cute monkey fabric I can use too (I know didn't I already pick up fabric?). So while at the cutting table I turn to see .... yup that would be Batman! A grown man and no he was not there for the store he was there to get some help. He was very nice to pose, I was being a sissy and tried to take his picture over my shoulder. Rachael just walked over and asked, image that? While we were out had to pick up some Popsicles for her son and oh yeah coffee!

Finally get back to the house, unpack my sewing machine. Oh yeah did I mention I had a sewing machine in my garage that I bought 10 years ago!!! And I didn't unpack it ever, really it has moved 4 times with me! LOL, so I actually got to sewing. Well after the tracing and cutting of the letters! Who would think my 5 year old could cut and trace better than me? I totally suck but after some close calls of cutting of my fingers with Rachael very sharp tools. Yes she had to remind me several times to cut away from myself. She was so sweet and guided me threw it all. I even was able to sew around the letters, I have learned that I'm super good (well pretty good) with sewing the straight letters, now the curved ones like the inside of the O wasn't so pretty! Finally around 7pm I had to get my butt in gear and go home! Yes I was gone almost 6 hours with only 1 KID!!! It was super nice, almost a Mini day off!

Monday is a holiday day off for almost everyone, me I usually am off from my regular job but work my 3rd job that day. Well with no voice (yes did I forget to mention I STILL had no voice) I couldn't do the calls I would normally do, and I was not feeling good to even get my butt in gear to do the data entry. It has finally happened I ran out of steam, the little green monster stole my mojo and ran away with it. Like I told my boss on Monday the truck that stole my voice came back that night and ran over me a few times to make sure the job was good and done! So well Rick took Cole & Roy along with his friends to my parents house to go swimming in the lake I stayed inside and loved it. No voice and just feeling like a bum I headed back to Rachael house to finish up my pillow. What I was determined to finish it! Oh yeah on the way there had to run to JoAnn's yet again, because I was so sure I needed more thread to finish the second pillow (who was I kidding?). Well Rachael at least got more material to make another pillow, yes she is that good she got one finished another one started while I was there and oh yeah 2 more started before Tuesday!!! Back to her house we go, where I started my project again. Then my machine decided to go in reverse only, my theory was to just turn my machine around and sew that way ... LOL. So Rachael being the amazing person she is took at her power tools and then took my machine apart. She found the problem did a mini solution for the machine so it would at least go forward. Then on to pillow making I go when all of a sudden my machine started to make a cachunk sound! REALLY does my life always have to go this way? Thanks to Rachael and her machine I ended up finishing Cole pillow, Caden's will have to wait until next Sunday! Yup you read that correct I know have a play date for mommy! Sundays will be craft day at Rachael house! I'm so excited one day with one kid, Rick will have to step up for one day. I know I ask so much!

On my way home mom called and invited me to dinner! It was great way to end my weekend a night I didn't have to cook for everyone! The boys even got to run around for a while. Ran home, with one stop at Target to pick up baby items for a guy at work. Totally spaced and had to buy the items for a shower on Tuesday. And oh yeah a diaper cake I had to make too! UGH, Rick even had to help me out, which made him so happy! I finished it all up and even got to bed for 7 hours of sleep!!! Yup another busy weekend just in another way! Plus I only had to work 6 days this week! Ok that's that Tuesday was a rough day, I think I'll save that for another day!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Ham Quiche

One of my favorite bloggy friends is Kristie @ Kristie's Notes is awesome person and so great at passing along great recipes she also got me on a quiche kick. I just love them they are so easy and the kids love them. They are like pies so Cole think's they are super cool! One thing I did learn is the deep dish pie crust works best. I grabbed the wrong ones last time and let's just say my oven had a little accident and thanks to oven pan at the bottom that caught the most of it. I have included Kristie's recipe at the bottom but please check her out and here's a link to her post she did with this recipe:

http://kristiesnotes.blogspot.com/2009/02/ham-n-cheese-quiche.html

All you need :)

Eggs
Add the milk

Add the salt

Add Pepper

Add Garlic Salt

Add onions

Pour egg mixture over ham in the pie

Out of the oven

Ham 'n' Cheese Quiche
1 pastry shell (9inches)
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/8 cup chopped green pepper
1/8 cup chopped onion
3 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion salt

Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.Place ham, cheese, green pepper and onion in the bottom of the pastry shell. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into shell. Sprinkle onion salt over top of quiche. Cover edges with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Make Something Monday ... Taco Quiche (Thank You Kristie)

My amazing friend Kristie at Kristie's Notes featured this amazing quiche I couldn't wait to try. Really I went out the next day and bought all the stuff I needed. Everyone had seconds, I couldn't get over how fast it went. I barely had enough to give to Rick for his dinner when he got home. Poor guy for working late all the time, he's dinner is usually in the microwave waiting for him to reheat it. Sorry dude, but this was super yummy and he actually ate the whole thing, rare for him. He usually is sneaking in a piece of coconut cake at night time. Don't even get me started he only like the one from Wal-Mart, yup I know he sucks! LOL, so check it out!!!

Brown the Meat

Add Taco Seasoning
Beat up the eggs
Put onions on the bottom of pie crust
Add Taco Meat

Add Salsa to eggs

Add Salt to egg mixture

Add Pepper to Egg Mixture

Add Milk to egg mixture

Add Cheese to meat and onions

Pour egg mixture of meat mixture

Put in oven! Note I'm out of tin foil, you should have this around edge so it doesn't get brown like mine.

400 for 35 minutes

Look at that doesn't that look flipping good!

Here is Kristie's recipe! You have to try it! Link to her post Make Something Monday: Taco Quiche

I had some leftover taco meat and cheese and I was feeling a little creative after making my first quiche a couple weeks back. I came up with the following recipe with my leftovers.

Taco Quiche

1 pastry shell
1 cup taco meat
1 cup taco/Mexican cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 eggs
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion salt

Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.Place taco meat, cheese and onion in the bottom of the pastry shell. In a bowl, whisk eggs, salsa, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into shell. Sprinkle onion salt over top of quiche. Cover edges with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings.

Toy Wrangler Giveaway (3 Winners) ~ CLOSED

Have you ever been driving down the road and all of a sudden you see out of the corner of your eye a flying object, just in time to duct (maybe even swerve a little). What this stuff only happens to me???? Ok how about going out to dinner (ok yes I giggled on that statement too, but when I had only 1 my parents took pity on me often and took me out) when you spent more time picking up the bottle or sippy cup then actually having a real conversation with the people you there with? Even though it was probably good exercise and you got a wonderful view of all the gum under the table it really wasn't your idea of fun.

Well I'm very excited to tell you about the coolest item I've found in a long time. The Toy Wrangler™ by LuvLoo solve your problem, well not all your problems but the bending over for toys and bottles at least. Heck it's a step in the right direction, I say anything that helps a mom out is top on my list. And for you non mommies that come by this makes an AMAZING baby shower gift. I'm tell you if you bring the Toy Wrangler™ as your gift it will be all that the ladies will be talking about.

Not only can you attach bottles and sippy cups, but you can attach binks and toys! We never did the binks but my girlfriend did and man oh man when that thing was missing we all ended up on our hands and knees looking for it (yes I know that was one heck of a mental picture, my rear up in the air ... but move past it fast).

One of my favorite parts of this is it was made by a mom. I love promoting and talking about products that awesome moms and dads come up with after much frustration it's nice to have this people around. You know the ones that didn't loose half their brain with pregnancy, yes mine is gone and I depend on these amazing people to keep me sane!

So check Kristy and her wonderful model Abby showing off the Toy Wrangler™ @ the Home of the ToyWrangler™. Now for the fun part 3 lucky readers will win a Toy Wrangler™ of their own!

1st Place will get Toy Wrangler™ that has 3 Toy & Bottle Bungees. Just think of all the things that can hang on there!!!!

2nd & 3rd Place will get mini Toy Wrangler™ that has 2 separate bungees that easy attach anywhere.

To Enter it's easy I promise! Go to Toy Wrangler™ and tell me something that you learned, really it's that simple!

Want EXTRA Entries!! Do one do them all, just remember to leave separate comments please.

• Followers get ONE (1) Extra Entry
• Have the Button up get TWO (2) Extra Entries
• Subscribe via email (top left side) get TWO (2) Extra Entries
• Tell me a funny story about retrieve cups, bottles and/or toys get ONE (1) Extra Entry
• Blog about this THREE (3) Extra Entries

Thanks so much for stopping by and entering I really appreciate you all! Send me and email if you have any questions!

Check out MomDot & Skip to my Lou Swingset Giveaway

MomDot and Skip to my Lou are hosting an amazing giveaway, hold on to your seats, Win a $3800 HomePlace Structures Swingset!!! I know another one, since I didn't win the last one ... did I mention I was the person below the winner! Yup one number off isn't that my life ... LOL.

So check out MomDot and Skip to my Lou along with the amazing sponsor HomePlace Structures who is giving away the $3800 MountainRange Swingset, including shipping to your US shipping address. Please read the giveaway information VERY CAREFULLY so you do not disqualify yourself.

About the Mountain Range Swingset you can win:
$3862.00 Complete Kit set - Finished product features 5’ x 5’ x 6’ deck, two 7’ swing beams, rock climbing wall, climbing net, ladder, slide, and numerous other features! This kit will be shipped to the winning customer’s residence within the continental U.S. Assembly is required; full-color assembly manual provided.

Experience outdoor living at its finest with HomePlace Structures custom Amish
crafted outdoor products. Enhance your property with a stylish yet functional garden building, garage, or gazebo. For the kids, HomePlace Structures also offers exciting playhouses and playsets. Its line of play structures from Pinnacle Play
Systems include the best, most innovative ways to have fun: towers and lofts, playhouse lofts, ships/castles, and combination units.

HomePlace Structures exists to provide a variety of structures that add comfort, enjoyment and function to properties nationwide – accenting homes, parks, businesses, and gardens. We customize playhouses, garden buildings, gazebos, garages and Pinnacle Play Systems for discriminating buyers across the United States, shipping from our base among the Amish of Lancaster County, PA.

Nestled in the rolling hills of southeastern Pennsylvania lives a quiet community of people. These folks, known to the outside world as "the Amish", have been building family heirlooms for over two centuries. The Amish, a deeply religious sect, are known world wide for their old-world craftsmanship. They drive horse and buggies and refrain from many "worldly trappings" such as electricity, telephones, and automobiles.

Cole's Summer Concert ... Do's & Don't (Learn from my train wreck)

I interrupt these reviews for a funny post of my tales of what not to do for a kids concert. LOL .. I first want to thank you all for all the sweet and kind comments that you left me. Really my friend is a sweet person and I don't want anyone to think anything else of her. I love having sassy say it how it is people in my life. They keep me on my toes and say the things I hate to hear but need to hear. "Like you know your rear is really large these days" ... Oh wait I reserve those comments for my mom .. :).

So let's start our little adventure in preparing for Cole concert! Oh wait these are things you DON'T want to do since you will be very disappointed and cuss at yourself under your breath since you are in the house of God watching a performance. A few hail Mary's for Grandmothers sake and your back on track, well the most you can expect in this "Train Wreck of a life, Where o one gets hurt" ... Thank you Laura @ Hey what's for dinner Mom? for my new favorite description of my blog ... You rock and that is so sad but TRUE!

So yesterday while getting ready for dinner, camera in one hand and mail in the other. My lovely right hand has a spasm and drops the camera (when PG with Caden I got some weird thing where I loose the ability to hold things in my hand, all of a sudden it just opens and drops whatever is in it). Now this poor camera has been dropped and all types of things before. Today of all days is the day the camera was ON which meant the lovely telescope lens was out, and guess how it landed. Yup you guessed it lens side down, my lovely camera has seen a better day before this but now it's time to bury it :(. So the funny side note is last Friday I came across the deal of a century and ordered a camera ... for anyone who knows DH it was a giveaway gift ... GOT IT!!! So yippee new camera coming, not so yippee it won't be here for concert time!

Break forward to Thursday morning running around like crazy, Rick is leaving for work so it's nuts around here! I run out just in the nick of time remembering to grab the video camera and the cord to charge it at work. Of course running late, thankfully only have to come to a screeching halt 2 times and barely missing the car in front of me! Oh boy do I need coffee! Run in drop Cole off and drop the other kids off too, sorry Caden you have socks and no shoes today! Run to work only 9 minutes late! Rock on, really that is good thinking I left the house 18 minutes late.

Work was nuts, almost time to leave when I remember I better charge the camera! Guess what I grabbed the wrong charger! Really who the heck did I piss off in a former life? Well I guess I have enough juice to get thru the 20 minute performance. I did even remember to barrow a camera from work so I could take pictures also. Check my cell and missed a call from Cole's school, oh GREAT!!! Did I mention earlier this week Cole decided to run right smack dag into the swing set. A whole play yard the size of my whole lot, and he runs into a post. After she told me he was ok, I started to laugh because only my kid would do that. Yes she thought I was strange and said so to the daycare lady who said no she's not a mean mom she just knows Cole. So I call and leave a message, of course worry all the day about it!

Leave work and pick up Caden and Roy and make it to Cole's school with 10 minutes to spare to change clothes. I run in and right into Cole's teacher ... in my head saying oh please don't let it be bad news ... I can't take it that he cussed again in church. I may just have to not claim him anymore ... LOL that or duct tape my DH's mouth so he won't say anymore bad words! But no it's my little hyper energy bunny couldn't sit still during music practice and even was called into the principals office to be talked to. Oh great he's 5 and already in the P.O.'s office oh stop I didn't say Parole Officer .... :).

So while I'm getting him dressed I have a VERY stern talk about behaving or that I may have to string him up by his toes ... LOL :). On a positive side note he behaved rather well and I didn't have to duct tape him ... just playing. Now back to my lovely story, I set Roy up with the Video camera and me with the regular camera. We are all set right? So being the smart mom I am I brought a bag FULL of fruit snacks and apple drinks, I know no food in chapel but I had to! Well that was fun while it lasted! They had us in there 20 minutes early, just enough time for Caden to eat 6 bags of fruit snacks and a apple juice, I had my girlfriends daughter with us and poor thing only got 2 bags of fruit snacks and at least a apple juice! Did I mention this was before the play even started!!!! So at this time Caden has a melt down and wants to go walk around, oh great! Thankfully that is about the time my friend came in and sat down. It's great to have wonderful friends ... remind me in a few weeks I have a post about friends. How they are like angels, some come in and out just in the nick of time, some stay around and like the kind with wings that stay with you and then my favorite kind (NOT) are the Hell's Angels those ones that take you for all your worth and a pain in my Arse!! Yup I'll leave that for another day!

I end with the performance of the video camera that has very little battery that had even less of a tape. Yup I think I got a total of 3 minutes on the tape, Note for next time buy EXTRA tapes ... they are cheap just buy them for Pete's sake! Try the camera that doesn't have the best zoom and oh yeah about the same battery life as the amount of tape you had! Welcome to my wonderful world of pure dumb luck!

So there you have it what not to do when your precious child has concert.

1. Charge the Video Camera the night before
   
2. DON'T drop you camera and kill it the night before!!!
   
3. DO buy EXTRA Tapes and also KEEP them in that bag (yes I've also done that one too)
   
4. Slow down and make sure you have all items done BEFORE leaving the house!
   
5. The BEST step ... Put the kids to bed, make a cup of coffee with Irish Creme!