Tomorrow is Read Across America!

Take your little ones to any Target store from 9 – 11 AM for story time! 

You can also click >>>HERE<<< for more information and activities for the kids. 

My man has signed up to read at the distribution center and keeps hinting (and hinting, and hinting) that I would be a good reader too.   *sigh*  If I must. 
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Today’s Favorite Freebie comes to us from the incredibly generous Traci Reed. 

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Friends of mine have been talking about this thing called Swagbucks.  And since its swagbuck’s birthday this weekend, I figured I would sign up and see what its all about.

If you use their search, you earn points, and by getting points, you earn real things – like gift cards, and I noticed one of my online friends earned a wii (for free!).  Pretty nifty.

I’m not sure how it all works or I would tell you more… but if you are at all interested, you could sign up and see what you can earn.  If you click through that button at the top – I get more points.

So far I’ve got 70 swagbucks in 3 days… which might earn me mmm… half a song on a cd at this point LOL, but ya never know…maybe I could win a wii before I’m too old to use it. 

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Another thing I’ve been wanting to tell you about all week and forgot. (Its been a week, ok?)

Subway and The Biggest Loser are giving away a free workout mix ‘cd’ of music.  Pretty cool! 

I know I have been lazy w/ a capital L for doing any exercise since, ummmmmmmm, November when the rains hit.  Yes, November, its ridiculous. The music in their mix is really upbeat!  Its free, no strings attached, just click the photo and be taken there.

RaVnR :  I promise to get the tortilla recipe posted tomorrow!

I’m making these for dinner – Chicken Quesadillas (from my Taste of Home cookbook).  Looking over the recipe – I see I have chicken – check, got that, onion – check, got that,  x,y,z – got all that…until I get to tortillas.  Shoot!  I didn’t know we were out.  *sigh* 

Rather than fess up to yet another trip to Costco (and get a good razzing from my tried and true Facebook friends) I decided to make home made tortillas.  I’ve done it before & my kids love them.  They love anything home made, which is an ego boost for me because I make such a huge portion of all our foods from scratch.

As I was making them my mind wandered.  Maybe today, at this same time that I’m making my tortillas there is a lady doing the same thing…somewhere in a hot country, somewhere in the sun.  I doubt she has the ultra cool press that I got at a yard sale for a quarter… and even if there were yard sales where she lives, she might not even have .25 to spend on one.  But still, she’s making tortillas – flour, water, a little fat, a little salt… rolling them out.

I found myself praying for her. I don’t know her name, I won’t ever meet her – that truly doesn’t matter, because God is bigger than all of that.  I prayed she would somehow know the love of Jesus and some day I would meet her in Heaven.  That some day we might make tortillas together for some great feast for Him.

Today I was quite content to not have tortillas on hand and with my decision to not drive the 5 min (to my favorite store on the planet) to grab the hefty 50-million pack tortillas for 3.99, because it made me stop and connect with the Lord, with myself, and ultimately with the woman I might not never meet.

And all is right in my world.

I am among the living again! Woo hoo!  I am making a ‘note to self’ not to get sick again – that was no fun!

My week consisted of:
*sleeping
*lazing
*whining (thanks for the reminder Sue – LOL!)
*and a whole lotta fluids.

That is, until yesterday. 

It was fast and furious and there was a whole lot of driving… but no incredible cars, street races, or nitro - just me,  my Kia, & 350 miles (give or take).

My tea co-hort and I are working on the first stages of making our 10th Anniversary Tea cookbook so I got a whole lot more sitting done (while I typed some recipes in and searched for others in the recipe box of goodness we have stowed things in over the years) and today my buns are sore!  I don’t think I can talk the man into a new car for bun soreness… but ya never know.  I’ll have to work on that…

Then it was time for bunco and fun with friends.  Good times for sure.

And then… the drive home.  On sore buns!  Oooo-cheee-momma!  Today I am trying to do anything but sit.

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Today’s Fav Freebie comes from Ivy Inspirations.  A cute little ditty for St Patty’s Day.  Enjoy!

Next month I hostess the bunco fun and I’m tapped for ideas – any suggestions on a theme I should use?~G 

On my bedside table:

Plenty of these….

And a whole lot of this….

On my tv:

On the menu tonight:

If only they delivered…

On my to do list:

 
Recipe I’ve tried this week:

My menu has gone ca-put… I haven’t been sick for years and I’m a whiner, I admit it.

Homemaking tip of the week:

Use more of this than ever.

Favorite blog of the week:

Cherry Hill Cottage

Favorite photo of the week:

Layout credits.

Lesson learned from the past few days:

And never run out of this again…

On my prayer list:

My niece’s husband Rick.. January 9th he was 1.5 months into his tour in Afghanistan when his convoy was hit by a IED.  Maybe you have seen news on tv about this attack.  I believe 3 of the people involved died.  Rick has already had multiple surgeries to fix his broken back, neck, leg, and other issues.  Although it was touch and go for a while, Rick is strong and is on his long road to recovery.  He is husband to my wonderful niece Mindy and daddy to their 3 kids. 

If you feel impressed to send a card to an injured soldier –

NNMC-ATTN: 5-East Richard Rush, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600

Every weekend at my house is now like a happy, little holiday, and I have to say, I love it. 

For the year my man worked and lived on his own, he worked four 10 hour days and then had Fri/Sat/Sun off.  He has opted to keep doing that and I love having him home on Fridays!  I had to giggle when he told me he’s looking forward to Fridays & yard-saling with me.   

This weekend we have company coming, a few boxes to unload, and a whole lotta family time w/ the Olympics starting up.  I am so excited!  Luge, snowboarding, and some gymnastics are going to make me a very happy girl!  What are you excited to watch?
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Its been so long since I’ve done a Fav Freebie Friday!  I feel good to be ‘home’ and get back into the swing of things!

Here is a couple good ones:

(If you hover over the words, there are links embedded.)

Get a full-sized bottle of Excedrin free (coupon in the mail) when you answer ANYTHING other than Excedrin on this one-question questionnaire.

And you can’t go wrong w/ Shabby Princess if you are a digital scrapbooker, ever.  Her kits are incredible, huge, and for the most part, timeless.  Go here and pick up Happy Go Lucky if you don’t already have it.

Have a fab weekend everyone, mine is starting right now.~G

I am a sprinter – no cross-country ‘running’ in my life.  Ever.  I start off doing something, go like gang-busters for a while… then blah.  I poop out.  Lose steam… and that my friends is where I am.

I am SICK. OF. BOXES!

I’m not sure why, but someone had the impression I was done w/ all 400 boxes.  Yes, you read that right – all 400 boxes.  Don’t you just wish you were me?  No?  I don’t blame you.

6 people,  2300 sq, 1 work shop, 1 – 2 car garage, 12 years, 1 funeral = 400 boxes of assorted, ahem, *crap*.

This is where we were when the movers piled us high w/ our ‘treasures’. 

I worked like a mad woman for about a week.  And as of yesterday, this is where I am.

I feel good about life. 

Although I don’t particularly ‘like’ the cedar chest that we are using as a coffee table (I honestly loathe the smell of cedar and every time I open it I gag), I feel uber good that its getting used (its always been something ‘off to the side’ in my life).  My great grandfather made it.  My Mom gave me 2 ‘thumbs-up’ and I’ve  been toying w/ painting it.  Opinions?

And then I go to the 3rd garage and see this…

I think I am going to need a trainer for this.  Its going to take more energy than just a ‘sprint’ & I don’t want it to take 3 yrs.

Oh dear.

Nutella.

Doesn’t that say enough? Ahhh…

Nutella is the only concoction of chocolate (prob because its more hazelnut than choc flavored) that I like.  Yes, I do… there, I admit it.  There is ONE thing of chocolate that I like… and its name – Nutella.

That being said, today is World Nutella Day! 

In honor of this day, giving homage to the worthy food, I am going to make Nutella Waffles using My Cookbook Addiction’s idea of just putting a few large dollops into the standard waffle mix.  Its simple and the people in my life will sing my praises!

1. Because they don’t know we have any Nutella in the house.
2. Because I am going to use it on them. 

Although Nutellas delightful, I’m going to pass and not have any… I’m not done losing weight *yet* and I don’t want to blow it, not even for Nutella.

So go forth, share the joy, eat some Nutella.  Its gonna be a great day.~G