Friday Fun

1. I'd really like Starbucks right now.

2. FUDGE is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is considered an unhealthy trait.

4. Johnny Depp is the only Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like graham crackers and chocolate bars to make smores.

6. Some people on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to visiting my mom in the hospital and getting a good report so she can come home tomorrow, tomorrow my plans include a stamp camp and visiting mom while the guys go to a Rockets game and Sunday, I want to have a great time at the football party!

Menu Planning

Our son had try-outs for Spring baseball this weekend. He did very well. No we have to wait for the e-mail or phone call as to what team he will be on and with which friends. I was able to go to a new store, Swoozies and shop till I dropped. Also, we went to the Country Peddler Show and found a lot of cute Valentine items and a gift for our sons teacher. Also, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory but were too full for cheesecake! Overall it was a good weekend!


Here is our plan for the week:
Monday-Creamy Chicken Skillet with stuffing and hot bread
Tuesday-French Onion Pork Chop Skillet
Wednesday-Mediterranean Style Chicken and hot bread
Thursday-Pizza and Salad or maybe going out with friends!
Friday-Smothered Chicken and Green Bean Skillet with potatoes

Hope your week is off to a great start!

January Pay It Forward Winner

Congratulations to Darbyscloset! You have won the book You Have To Kiss A lot of Frogs by Laurie Graff for my January Pay It Forward Book Exchange. Please send me your mailing address so that I can get the book to you.

Thanks to everyone that signed up for the Pay It Forward. I appreciate each one of you that left a comment. I will host another Pay It Forward next month. Please stop back by the first Wednesday of the month for another chance to win a book.

Friday Fun

1. Oh, I am so sore from Zumba!

2. I'm going through changes, big and little.

3. During exercising, I love to listen to dance music.

4. Another set of sit ups; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be at Disney.

6. My camera is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hitting the thrift store while son is at baseball practice, tomorrow my plans include a jewelry party and Sunday, I want to go to Rosenberg to the Country Peddler Show!

Visit the Friday Fill Ins home page and play with us!

New Year's Celebration

We spent New Years in San Antonio, TX at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. It was a fabulous getaway. We enjoyed our stay with two other couples. If you haven't stayed at a Hyatt Resort then you need to treat yourself and family as soon as you can. During the holidays they offer packages and deals. Here are some pictures from our time relaxing at the Hyatt! This is the main entrance. The resort is located out near Sea World in San Antonio.

This is one area of the lobby. I came here to read in the afternoons while my guys took a nap.

This is the back of the resort looking at the lawn area. I am standing by the lazy river.

The kids decided to take a spin in the lazy river on New Years Day. The water was too cold for us older and wiser.

Another view of the lazy river. I definitely want to come back during the hot summer months. I can see myself lounging by this river and sipping a cool drink while reading my book.

My son and I by one of the big fireplaces in the lobby. We were trying to warm up from being outside playing the carnival games.

This was one of many signs they had posted around the resort listing events you could partake in.

My son after the ball dropped in New York, which we watched on a giant screen outside, covered in streamers.

A night snack of roasting marshmallows to make smores by the fire pit.

The carnival area on New Years Eve. The lawn area was lined with carnival games for the children to play and win prizes. All included with your New Years package. It also included a buffet Bar B Que dinner.

We had a fabulous time! Please come join us for next New Years!

YA Book Challenge

I decide to join another book challenge. This one is for YA books. I have always wanted to read these books but kept putting it off. So here I go!

JKaye is hosting YA Challenge. Here are the details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 2009.

Here is my list I made:

1. 3 Willows by Ann Brashares

2. Crowned by Julie Linker

3. If we Kiss by Rachel Vail

4. It's A Mall World After All by Janetter Rallison

5. Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning

6. South Beach by Aimee Friedman

7. The Clique by Lisi Harrison

8. Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison

9. Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison

10. Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison

11. The Pretty Committee Strikes Back by Lisi Harrison

12. Dial L for Loser by Lisi Harrison

Happy Reading!

Thrifty Finds

I walked into a thrifty store I hardly venture into because its dirty, unorganized and things are marked very high. Well, I decided to pop into the store just to look and see if things have changed. I walked over to the housewares area and this lovely item was waiting just for me!. It's a Homestead Pyrex bowl. It's in great condition and for $3. I didn't have one like it so it was worth walking through the dirty and unorganized store.

What have you found lately?

Ice Skating Tradition

My sister and brother-in-law take all their nieces and nephews ice skating for Christmas as part of their gift. They have been doing this for quite awhile now. All the kids enjoy themselves and have fun visiting with each other. This year my brother and his family came down from Missouri so it was extra special to be with them and share in this fun memory. Here are some photos from the event. Enjoy!My handsome guy!The oldest and youngestTwo divas!My guy! We do not like lacing up our skates!

Afterwards, dinner with everyone at the Olive Garden!

Friday Fun

1. Enough with the cold weather.

2. Too much to do causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving Mexican food.

4. My class makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to some tropical destination next week.

6. Spring Break has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner out with old friends, tomorrow my plans include errands, like oil change and stuff for school and Sunday, I want to take son to his birthday party and have a couple of hours of me time!

Visit the Friday Fill Ins home page and play with us!

Book Resolutions and Chick Lit Book Challenge

Did you make any resolutions this year? I have made some book resolutions. Here they are:

1. Read more than I did in 2008. I only read 23 books in 2008.

2. I will read at least 20 books from my TBR pile/shelf/stack.

3. I will read at least 2 new genres of YA and Cozy Mystery each month.

4. I will keep track of the books I have read.

Sounds pretty easy!

While surfing the blogosphere I found A Novel Challenge blog. This blog is the place to find your next reading challenge. She had listed all the reading challenges available for readers. I have looked through several and decided to participate in a few.

The first challenge I want to let you know that I will be participating in is the Chick Lit Challenge. This is right up my alley! I love this genre and have stacks of books around the house so no buying new books. Yeah right!

January 1-December 31, 2009

Twiga at Books and Life is hosting the second installation of the Chick lit Challenge. The rules are:

1. Read at least 10 Chick lit books.

2. Books can overlap with other challenges.

3. You can change your list at any time.

To sign up visit Twiga and leave her a comment on the post about the challenge.

Here is my list for the Chick Lit Challenge:

1.Flyover States by Grace Grant and P J MacAllister

2.Fashionistas byLynn Messina

3. Me vs Me by Sarah Mlynowski

4. Starting From Square Two by Caren Lissner

5. Inappropriate Men by Stacey Ballis

6. Milkrun by Sarah Mlynowski

7. Slightly Single by Wendy markham

8. Tart by Jody Gehrman

9. Hanging by a Thread by Karen Templeton

10. Let's Meet on Platform 8 by Carole Matthews

Thrifty Finds

A great day treasure hunting at the local resale shops. I came home with a new Pyrex Forest Fancies bowl and a stack of books. I wish I had found more Pyrex but I am happy with a perfect condition bowl. Perfect condition bowls are getting harder and harder to find. Also, I am thrilled with the books I found. All of them in my favorite genre, chick lit, and you can't beat the price of $1.00 a book!

What have you found lately?

Menu Planning

What a busy and fun weekend! Our church celebrated it's 75th anniversary. Lots of friends came with their new families. It was great catching up on each others life.


Our week looks pretty calm. We do have baseball practice two nights this week so we will grab a bite on the way home. Here is our plan:


Monday-Salt Grass Steak House-a treat for husband.

Tuesday-Spaghetti, corn on the cob and bread

Wednesday-Mexican food out since we have baseball

Thursday-Pork Chop meal from last week. I didn't make it.

Friday-Somewhere out since we have baseball practice.


Join others in planning their weekly meals at Organize Junkie


Make it a great week!

Friday Fun

1. It's January; a fresh start.

2. Chocolate is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like bread and butter.

4. Food is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to dream.

6. Texas is my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my sons baseball tournament, tomorrow my plans include a Gifted and Talented workshop and Sunday, I want to celebrate my Churches 75th anniversary!

Visit the Friday Fill Ins home page and play with us!

New School

As I mentioned in the Fall my school is getting a brand new building. My school is 50 years old and has seen better days. But with the new building comes many changes. We have lost our outdoor area and garden, which the picture above shows that was taken from my back door. Our gym had to be closed down since it will be incorporated into the new design of the building. So gym has been moved to the cafeteria and the lunch room has been moved to the multi purpose room. We haven't had outside recess in a long time and my lunch time has been shorten. We finally got a small fenced in area towards the front of the school to take the children out to run and get some fresh air.

Changes are good, right?

January Pay It Forward Book Exchange

Tales from the dating pond.

"It only takes one."
"There are a lot of other fish in the sea."
"Every pot has a cover."
"When it's your time, it will just happen."

Ugh!

Karrie Kline had heard it all. But her search for the perfect man had never been all that pressing until her laugh lines became more noticeable, she attended one too many bridal showers and woke up next to far too many never-gonna-commit men. Suddenly, she realized that finding someone to love (and who actually loved her back) was important. Karrie wanted more. But knowing what she wanted, and actually getting what she wanted . . . well, that was a lot to think about.

Through her wry, witty and sometimes wrenching recollections, join Karrie as she looks back at over fifteen years of dating vignettes involving disastrous fix-ups, strange chance encounters and missed opportunities. From the shortest date in Manhattan history, to Mr. FamousHollywoodTelevisonActor who was more bark than bite, these are tales for every woman — whether she's found her Prince Charming, or her lips are incredibly chapped from kissing her own share of frogs.

New York City actress Laurie Graff has dated her share of amphibians and may (or may not) have used them as a basis for her first novel. She swears no frogs have been harmed during the writing of this book.

Here are the rules to enter. Yes, there are some rules!

1.If you win this book you must host a giveaway on your blog. If you don't have a blog then you will give the book to a local shelter, library, etc.

2.You do not need a blog to participate. If you don't have one just please leave your e-mail so that in the event you should win I can get a hold of you.

3.You need to leave a comment to this post by Saturday, January 24.

4.I will randomly draw a name on Sunday, January 25 and post the winner here. Also, I will contact the winner by e-mail or blog.

Please click over to Overwhelmed with Joy to see the many other book exchanges happening this month.

Thrifty Finds

Sometimes you never know what you will find as you wonder the aisle of the Salvation Army.

Oh my, a pink angel. You may just keep walking past items like this but you have to look at things with a different eye. How can I change or alter this to fit in my life? Well, all she needed was a fresh coat of white paint and she is absolutely heavenly.
Right now she watches over our back patio but I may move her to my living room once Christmas is all packed up.

Happy New Year and Menu Planning

Happy New Year! I have been away for awhile due to being sick and the holiday craziness. I have so much to share with you all. Well, the readers who haven't left and still check back ever so often. Today was my first day back to work after the Holidays and I have so much to complete for school, so today's post is short and sweet!

Menu for the week:

Monday-Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew and biscuits.

Tuesday-Chicken and Rice Soup, Cinnamon Pudding Cake

Wednesday-Pizza and Salad

Thursday-Tomato soup, cornbread cakes and Chocolate Bundt Cake

Friday-Baked pork chops, steam fried potatoes and rolls