The Family VanDervort

Skinny Cow Giveaway

2009-06-25T22:39:00.001-04:00

I am so excited for this giveaway. I LOVE skinny cow ice cream! Great for my return to Weight Watchers.
http://www.bubblybride.com/blog/2009/06/skinny-cow-giveaway-guilt-free-desserts-for-the-bride-to-be/

Another giveaway . . .

2009-06-21T22:50:00.002-04:00

Since I have been trying to, every week, get an Old Navy coupon, I'm going to try another way. Head on over to this post to check it out! http://maybefrugal.blogspot.com/2009/06/giveaway.html

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T23:00:00.003-04:00

We spent Easter Sunday at my parent's house and church. All of the extended family met at my grandmother's for a late lunch. It was nice to catch-up with my cousins who are now all scattered all over Ohio and Indiana. Avery enjoyed her first Easter egg hunt, with the help of little mamma Sarah. The cutest moments of the day were witnessing Avery and cousin Zachary (almost 3) together. They were a hoot, kissing and hugging, and playing.

Big CVS Moneymaker

2009-04-08T20:25:00.005-04:00

d
During a trip to CVS a few days ago, a $10 off a $20 cosmetics purchase printed out. I knew that with the current Covergirl ECB deal (buy $20, get $10 ECB) and with the new coupons in the P&G Sunday inserts, I would have a pretty good deal. After careful consideration as to what would be the best scenario, I ended up with 2 products, making a good profit.

Transaction #1:
1 Skintimate shaving cream ($3.49)
-3.49 ECB (from previous week's toothpaste deal)
Total: $0

Transaction #2
1 Covergirl Olay Foundation ($13)
1 Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara ($7.99)
-$10 off $20 Cosmetic Purchase CRT
-$4 off Covergirl Olay Foundation (4/5 P&G)
-$1 off any Covergirl product (4/5 P&G)
-$3.49 EBC (from Transaction #1)
Total (including tax): $3.02 on gift card; got back $10 ECB.

OOP 3.02+3.49=$6.51-$10 ECB back = $3.49 moneymaker

This would have been better had I bought one of the $7 mascaras, but I really wanted to try this one . . . and when you are making money, that is the time to try out new products!

The great block tower

2009-04-06T22:36:00.003-04:00

Last night Avery and I were attempting to use ALL of her Duplo blocks to build a gigantic tower. We didn't use all of the blocks before the tower came crashing down, but it was a fun time (and of course provided a chance for cute pictures.

Hair-bows and pigtails

2009-04-06T22:16:00.003-04:00

Avery is fascinated by what she calls "hair-bows" right now, which are really hair ties. She asks me in the morning "hair-bows?" "Yes," I answer, "you can wear hair-bows." "Thank you mama," is usually her reply. Yesterday in the car she was even twirling her pony tail in the car. So cute!

She also likes to play with this cardboard princess crown that they gave her in the nursery at church a couple of weeks ago. Saturday she decided that "daddy" must wear the crown. She spent quite a while adjusting the crown and making sure that it was just how she wanted it on daddy's head.

Target & CVS Shopping 4/6 (Game Snacks)

2009-04-06T21:38:00.004-04:00

So my lovely hubby reallllllly wanted snacks for the big NCAA Championship game tonight, which he asked for in the same breath as telling me we were almost out of milk . . . gasp! At any rate, it gave me a chance to go into town and go to Target and CVS.

Here was my Target spending, which included the game snacks and my "deals":

Transaction #1
1 Phantom Gillette Power Razor ($7.99)
1 Gillette Shaving Cream ($1.89)
1 Bliss Chocolate ($2.99)
-1.00 Bliss Chocolate Target coupon
-1.00 Bliss coupon (Sunday inserts)
-1.00 Gillette shaving cream coupon (P&G 4/5 insert)
-2.00 Gillette Razor coupon (P&G 4/5 insert)
Total (including tax): $8.35--received $5.00 gift card for buying razor and shaving cream together.

Transaction #2
1 Phantom Gillette Power Razor ($7.99)
1 Gillette Shaving Cream ($1.89)
1 Bliss Chocolate ($2.99)
1 gallon milk ($1.99)
1 bag Doritos ($2.50)
1 2-lit. Mt. Dew ($1.50)
-1.00 Bliss Chocolate Target coupon
-1.00 Bliss coupon (Sunday inserts)
-1.00 Gillette shaving cream coupon (P&G 4/5 insert)
-2.00 Gillette Razor coupon (P&G 4/5 insert)
-$5.00 Gift Card from first purchase
Total (including tax): $9.45 --received $5.00 gift card for buying razor and shaving cream together.

Now, if I wasn't a total idiot, I should have done the razor/shaving cream on Transaction #2 and then used that $5.00 gift card on the Doritos, dew, and milk, but I don't know what I was thinking. At any rate, I will always use a Target gift card!

CVS

The monthly deals for April include $2 ECB for buying Adidas deodorant (phase 3), regular price they are $4.99, but I found the "intensive" scent on clearance for $2.99. SCORE! Unfortunatly, I didn't even realize that it rang up $3.74. I'll have to get that corrected when I go next time. Secondly, there was a HUGE "designer" chocolate clearance. Most of the starbucks & russell stover bags and bars were on clearance for between $1-2 dollars. Wait, I thought . . . russell stover coupon, russell stover coupon--yes! I still had a Russell Stover BOGO coupon from eons ago that I clipped and never figured I'd use. The particular bag I got was $1.65, not too shabby considering these bags usually find their way into gift bags for various people/occasions. I also took advantage of the skintimate shave cream that is FREE after ECBs.

Transaction #1
1 skintimate shave cream ($3.49)
1 Adidas deodorant ($3.74--should have been $2.99)
2 bags Russell Stover chocolate (2 @ 1.65)
-BOGO Russell Stover chocolate ($1.65)
-$7.00 ECB
Total (including tax): $2.13 (on gift card from transferring RX)--got 5.49 ECB back (from shave cream and deodorant)

Random Pictures from the Week of 3-22

2009-03-28T10:15:00.003-04:00

Wearing Mommy's cheerleading uniform . . . the face shows the irritation with the double ear infection.

Talking (yelling) to herself in the mirror.

Just being cute!

Checking out the deals in the Target ad.

Again . . . wearing mommy's cheerleading uniform.

Whoever said kids were sedentary while watching t.v. . . .

2009-03-28T10:07:00.003-04:00

Whoever said kids were sedentary while watching t.v. never saw Avery watch cartoons. I took these this morning in a span of, oh, about 1 minute.

Shopping Deals for the Week

2009-03-28T09:29:00.003-04:00

Meijer
Great deal going on through Saturday at Meijer stores . . . buy two Oreos or Nabisco Crackers (2/$5), get one gallon of milk free instantly. To make the deal sweeter, there are peelie coupons on the Oreo display for $1.50/1 oreo and gallon of milk. That is a grand total of $3.50 for 2 packs of Oreos and a gallon of milk. I needed a gallon of milk anyway, so this made the oreos seem like an inexpensive bonus. My mom had coupons from a Sunday insert (I don't know which one for $2.00/2 Ritz crackers or chips, so she got 2 boxes of crackers and a gallon of milk for $2.00. Best of all, there is no limit on this deal, so she (needing to stock-up on crackers for my brother's upcoming graduation party), did the deal 4 times! Had I had a good excuse to eat that many Oreos or use that many gallons of milk, I would have done it multiple times too. I had a raincheck for the toothpaste, which was 11/$10 last week and .50 cent coupons to double, which made those free. I picked -up 2 nesquick for $1.25/1, but used two .50 cent coupons that doubled (total of .50 cents). Finally, the Hillshire farms meats were marked at 2/$7.00, which is not a good deal in itself, but there is a "try it free" rebate peelie on the container. I also had .55 cent coupon for this . . . so eventually, I will make money by buying this! My total would have been (pre-tax) $5.50. Fortunately, I had a $5.00 off of $60 catalina from Meijer, which my mom and I used by combining our purchases. She wouldn't even let me pay for anything since I used my $5.00 coupon . . . what a gracious mom!

Walgreens
At Walgreens, I had $10 in RR that were going to expire, so I did the best I could.

Johnsons & Johnsons Soft products (Buy the lotion, get the body wash free) $5.99
Huggies wipes (2/$11.98)
Playtex Sport ($4.99 including Easy Saver Coupon)
Carefree pantyliner (clearanced at $1.19)
Curel Motherhood & Pregnancy lotion (clearanced at $3.59 & used $2 easy saver coupon=final price $1.59)
Coupons: $1.00 on Curel, 2 $5.00 on huggies care product, $1.00 on playtex sport, $1.00 Carefree product, 2 $1.00/1 Johnsons Soft body product

Grand Total= (minus $10.00 Register Rewards) $2.75 OOP

Kroger
My mom and I hit CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, and Meijer for a marathon shopping trip.
At Kroger are running a deal where the Quaker Cereals (Cap'n Crunch, Life, Quaker Squares), True Delights granola bars, and other selected items are $2.50, but when you buy 4 items in the same transaction, you get $4.00 off automatically. You can print coupons for the True Delights and Life cereal HERE. My mom was able to print 25 coupons before she stopped for the granola bars and 2 each of the cereal. With these coupons it makes the bars and cereal .50 cents per box! There is a similar deal running on the Pillsbury products. They are $1.25 each, but if you buy 4, it automatically takes $1.00 off your order. Coupons.com has some printables for these products. I had coupons from an insert for .40/1 pizza crust (Kroger doubles), which made my four pizza crusts .20 each. My coupons for the cinnamon rolls and crescent rolls were .35/1 (doubled) which made them .30 each. I got 1 nesquick milk (they are on sale for $1.00) free with a .50/1 coupon (from a gas station), grapes for .99 cents/lb., and the best . . . Health Valley Organic cereals bars for FREE! They were marked down to .99 cents on the clearance table and coupons.com has a $1/1 printable! Yeah! In total, I spent $7.98 at Kroger.

DaBib Giveaway

2009-03-25T16:01:00.002-04:00

I was so excited to stumble upon this blog giveaway for a bib. It is not just any bib, but one with an adjustable scrunch neck and crumb catcher. It is supposed to wipe off easily . . . which would be helpful for me since most of the bibs I use are cloth. I have yet to find a brand of bibs to be loyal to . . . maybe this will be the one! Check out DaBibs website HERE.

http://www.theangelforever.com/?p=1039&cpage=1#comment-5825

Goodwill Half-Price Day

2009-03-22T22:42:00.002-04:00

Let me just tell you . . . I love Goodwill! I love it even more when the store does it's half-price days (you know you are cheap when you think the prices at Goodwill are too expensive). I am a stockpiler, and have always been when it comes to kids clothes. I do not like to have to go out and buy something that is needed (clothing-wise)immediately. We recently had to have some pants for Avery, one pair wouldn't do, and after Goodwill and the local consignment store had nothing in her size, I had to break down and spend $10 on jeans from Old Navy. Most of you reading this post will say that $10 is no big deal, but if you would have to do this for a couple of pairs of pants in every size as kids grow, the expense really adds-up, not to mention the trips to different stores trying to find a pair that fits. To prevent this situation, I frequent Goodwill and other consignment store sales and buy clothes up to two sizes ahead. A lot of consignment stores will put out-of-season clothes on clearance, making some sweet deals for the next year. For instance, our local consignment store, in September, had summer clothes 5/$1.00. You better believe that everything that was in good condition in sizes 24 months to 3T was gone after I was there! That beats most garage sale prices. I also ALWAYS go to goodwill half-price days (4 yearly) and keep my eyes peeled at garage sales. Last summer a woman was selling brand new Old Navy, Ralph Lauren, and Gap clothing (tags attached) for between $1-2 dollars. I bought everything she had (spent about $30). These purchases have accumulated a nice stockpile of clothing for Avery as she grows. I keep everything labeled in plastic storage bins, and can always go "shopping" in my garage when Avery needs a new size. This weekend here is my kiddie stockpile finds:

1 pair Disney Princess shoes (still had tags from Target) $1.50
1 pair Old Navy pajamas
2 dresses (Osh-Kosh winter plaid, Wonder Kids summer plaid) $1.50 each
2 Ralph Lauren long sleeved shirts
1 Carters long sleeved winter scene shirt
1 striped turtleneck (OkieDokie)
2 short sleeved shirts (Cherokee brand)
1 Sesame Street corduroy jacket

All of the shirts were $1.00, so pre-tax, I spent $13.50--great value!

Sermon Notes Sunday, March 22

2009-03-22T21:57:00.003-04:00

Our pastor is finishing a series on prayer, which has been very significant for me. I was really moved by the message this Sunday, which concentrated on prideful prayer. How often do we come before the Lord with a prayer believing that we are deserving of petition? Humble prayer is a struggle for me. I often skip praising God for who he is and what he is doing. Furthermore, I pray as if he will bless the plans I have already made, not humbling myself, knowing that he knows the plans that are the best for me. I also assume that I am a righteous follower, trying to follow the Bible's teachings, but rarely do I begin my prayers with praise, but with requests. This sermon series has begun to shape my conversations with God in a new way.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^a]">[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

¹³"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

¹⁴"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Random Pictures from the Week of 3-15

2009-03-22T21:48:00.003-04:00

Grandma Pam, Avery, and Sarah

Sarah and Avery

Avery loves to imitate us! Bryan was leaning up against the counter eating a banana . . . she wanted to do the same.

Hmmm. What are you doing Avery? Looking very pensive.

She must have decided she missed her snow boots and hat. She wore the boots one whole evening.

Cinnamon Crunch Granola

2009-03-22T21:21:00.003-04:00

So, prior to my Shredded Wheat find, I was running out of cereal, a breakfast staple in our house. I was browsing recipes, trying to find a granola recipe that wasn't filled with honey (not a fan of the taste of it in granola) and fat. Finally, I settled on this recipe for Cinnamon Crunch Granola. Now, I didn't have all of the ingredients, but I had others. I also halved the recipe because it makes a mammoth batch. Here is my adapted recipe (half batch):

Cinnamon Crunch Granola

4 cups instant oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (not roasted or salted)
1/8 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup assorted nuts (I used pecans and almonds)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together first 6 ingredients.

Cook together brown sugar and water over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Increase heat until the mixture boils. Reduce heat again. Cook and stir one minute.

Remove from heat and add oil and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat.

Pour into pan (the original recipe says to use jelly roll pan . . . I don't have one) and cook @ 275 for 60-70 min.

Cool on a cooling rack (in the pan). After 10 min break-up granola into desired texture.

Verdict: It was REALLY good. We ate it plain, but really liked it with fresh fruit, and as a topping for yogurt.

Avery's New Big Girl Bed

2009-03-22T21:13:00.004-04:00

Avery is out of her crib! Thanks to a colleague at work, Avery has a new big girl bed. I know that I should have shed a small tear due to Avery's new milestone, but frankly I was glad to see the crib go. The crib was mammoth (It was mine as a baby), and made Avery's room feel so small. After reading several online resources about techniques to ease the transition between the crib and bed, I didn't need them! Avery was so excited to sleep in her new bed. She helped me take the crib down (well, she got in the way and kept stealing the screwdriver), and happily hopped into her bed as soon as Bryan and I brought it into the room. We were afraid that she would roll out of it, so we laid blankets on the floor where the rails ended. She slept great the FIRST night. I could not believe it! Now that she is used to the bed, every chance she gets (clothed or not . . . as you can see by the picture) she runs and flops on her bed and covers herself up with the blanket and announces "nigh-night." Love that girl!

Shredded Wheat Stockpile

2009-03-22T20:45:00.003-04:00

So, I am glad my husband and I, and Avery for that matter, like shredded wheat! This weekend, thanks to my mom for the heads-up, snagged 14 boxes of Shredded Wheat with Strawberries for .50 cents a box. The store had so much (and it must not have been selling well @ $2.00/box) that they marked it $1.00 BOGO! Furthermore, I got salad dressing for .10 cents/bottle, and kraft mayo w/olive oil for $1.50 BOGO. Now, I know what you are saying . . . I didn't see these sales at my stores! Although some people will not do this, I reguarly go to a grocery outlet that sells just out-of-date, smashed box, it didn't sell in the store, store. Both my mom and I have been shopping at these local outlets for about 10 years. Although we have had a few things stale, the store managers have always taken them back or exchanged items willingly. It has been a great way to save money--especially on cereal. If you are in the East Central Indiana Area, the store name is B&D Grocery Outlet, and are located in Winchester and Richmond. And yes, they also sell toiletry items!

Another giveaway winner!

2009-03-20T09:28:00.002-04:00

I won another giveaway . . . this time a set of silicone pans, cake mix, and frosting. I am so excited. I never win anything, and I've won two giveaways in the last week! Here's the picture of my winnings http://thethriftygeek.blogspot.com/2009/03/giveaway-giveaway-giveaway.html

Giveaway Winner

2009-03-16T12:23:00.002-04:00

So . . . I entered my first giveaway . . . the Cheerios one (posted below), and I won! A new freshwater pearl bracelet.

So . . . I'm trying another giveaway. This one is for silicone baking pans, which I have never tried. Here is the link for the new giveaway!

Cinna Heaven . . .

2009-03-15T12:30:00.003-04:00

Among all things "heavenly" to me are fresh cinnamon rolls. My dealings with cinnamon rolls usually go as far as popping open a can of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. Watching the food network semi-frequently, I see Paula Deen and other cooks make homemade cinnamon rolls, I get all inspired, but then when I look-up the recipe I always get intimidated with the--waiting for the dough to rise (twice) and all the kneading. Fortunately, I found a recipe that lets the bread maker do half of the work for you. In THIS RECIPE You put the dough ingredients in the bread maker and let it do it's magic. I even put my bread maker on a time delay so that my dough would be ready when I woke up this morning. After cautiously peeking in the bread maker to find my dough rasied and ready, I rolled it out, put in the filling--let them rise again, and they cooked in 15 min. to gooey perfection. I made the icing recpie as written, but I'm not a huge fan of cream cheese icing. Next time--and there will be a next time--I will just make a conf. sugar icing. I would have taken a picture, but I lent out my camera. Next time PHOTOS!

Cheerios/Fake Ginger Giveaway

2009-03-11T21:20:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to Fake Ginger . . . my new favorite blog's . . . first giveaway. Cheerios is giving away freshwater pearl necklaces to raise awareness about cholesterol.

Sign-up for this giveaway HERE.

A Chip off the Ol' Block

2009-03-08T15:11:00.003-04:00

So most of you know by now that I am a compulsive organizer. Weeelllllll--it seems as though Avery has picked up this very noble trait. I swear I did not move these toys! I was sitting on the couch reading this morning (no church for us today since Avery is running a fever), and Avery started yelling. I looked up to find her toy food, chicken nuggets (chin-chin), hamburger buns, tomato slices, and cookies (tookie) organized two by two on the chair. Fever or not, an organizer by heart. I love it!

Garnier, Huggies, and Orbit, oh my!

2009-03-08T14:29:00.005-04:00

Today I did the weekly "deals" shopping alone, without Avery or Bryan. Avery was running a fever this morning, so none of us went to church. Bryan, thankfully, agreed to let me sneak out during her morning nap to do my couponing alone. It was nice not to have to feel rushed or to be juggling coupons and Avery trying to climb out of a cart. Here's my loot:

Walgreens:

12 Garnier Fruitis Shampoo/Conditioner/Stylers (on sale for 2.99)--used $2 EasySaver & $1/1 for each
6 packs Orbit Gum--used 3/.99 EasySaver
1 South Beach Meal Bar--clearance price .50

I divided up these transactions into 3 transactions, using the meal bar and gum for fillers (since the coupons technically made a profit of .01 on the Garnier products.

Total @ Walgreens (including tax) $5.31

Target:

3- 184 ct. Huggies Gentle Care wipes--used $5.00/1 coupon for each
1 adorable onesie pjs for friend's shower--$1.48 (not pictured . . . I don't want them to see it before I give it to them)

Total @ Target (including tax) $5.81

CVS:

4 Garnier Haircolor--on sale 2/$10 & buy $10 get $5 ECB, used $2/1 coupon on each
4 Herbal Essence Shampoo/Conditioners--on sale for $2.88 & $1 ECB, used $3/2 coupon for 4
1 pkg make-up brushes clearance price $2.17
2 Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse Foundation--clearance price $2.37, used $2/1 coupon on each

I did three transactions, to roll my ECBs.

Total @ CVS (including tax) $1.74 & 19.98 ECB--BUT got $14.00 ECB back

Grand total out-of-pocket spending (including tax) $12.86
Total (before all coupons, clearance, EBCs, & tax) $128.61
Total Savings--$115.75 (90%) YEAH!!!!!!!!

Pigtails and the Dora tent

2009-03-03T20:10:00.003-05:00

Having plenty of activities for Avery to do is getting tough. All of us are getting a little sick of the cold weather. I'm ready to go to the park, take a walk, play out in the grass . . . . winter is getting so old. At any rate, we have started rotating some of Avery's toys so she doesn't have the same toys available everyday (a little variety never hurt anyone). Avery's newest love is
her Dora tent, a quick pop-up portable tent with an attaching tunnel. She likes to hang out in the tent, put her "haha" (monkey) in the tent, and then ask you "haha?" She loved playing peek-a-boo with the camera hiding in the tent as well. Spring--come and rescue us from monotony!

Enjoying the Heating Vents

2009-03-03T20:05:00.002-05:00

Avery has come to enjoy standing on our heater vents when the heat kicks on. I would describe how this effects her hair, but pictures say it all!

Wild Hair

2009-02-21T14:14:00.002-05:00

Avery's hair has been getting longer, finally. Fortunately, it has made it passed the mullet stage, but now, it is in the crazy stage--not long enough (really) for a pony tail, and too long to leave alone. Alas, it has made for some entertaining photos/styles.

The yogurt strike continues . . .

2009-02-21T14:02:00.003-05:00

Avery really hates messy hands, even if it is chocolate!

Eating her Yogurt-Banana Muffins (with chocolate chips)

Well, Avery's yogurt strike continues, even with Dora yogurt. In fact, really she is eating next to nothing, very frustrating. I had gobs of strawberry yogurt left in the fridge about to expire and several bananas that, in my humble opinion, we too ripe to eat. So, what to do not to waste food? I searched several different recipes and found one that looked appealing; yogurt banana muffins. The recipe, I tinkered with a bit, using applesauce in place of the oil, using strawberry yogurt instead of vanilla (it was all I had), and using 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. They came out great. It made 48 mini muffins. I divided them up into three bags, freezing two. The second batch I made without alterations except adding in some chocolate chips. Both recipes I added about 3 times the amount of cinnamon. Yum!

Visit from Grandma and Eric

2009-02-21T13:52:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Bryan's mom and brother Eric came up to visit for the day. We visited, ate out, and went to the used book store. Eric got Avery a book titled "Jesus goes to the synagogue" and Grandma Burt gave Avery a "Dora goes to the dentist" book. She loved both, but the Dora book especially. One of my favorite things from the day was when Avery laid next to Grandma on the floor and read a her "I Spy" book. She was pointing out all of the pictures to Grandma and it laying like that made her look so big!

Talking with ATTITUDE!

2009-02-13T21:47:00.002-05:00

Avery is 20 mos. going on twenty, doesn't she look so old talking on the phone. Bryan took these while I was at work yesterday, and he said she had been doing this for quite a while. She was just walking around talking and jabbering away.

Under $8.00 @ Meijer

2009-02-13T21:40:00.002-05:00

Today I went to Meijer planning my cereal/granola bar deal based on the buy 5 get $3.50 catalina for the General Mills granola bars. I did three transactions so I could "roll-over" my catalina coupons. I used several .50/1 coupons that doubled, coupons for a free suave product, and a $1/1 coupon for the wipes. In all, I spent about $7.50. In return I got 10 boxes of granola bars, 7 boxes of various Cheerios, a bottle of suave kid's shampoo, and a container of Pampers wipes. How do you think I did?

Making the best of Avery's yogurt strike

2009-02-10T21:17:00.003-05:00

Avery is usually up for yogurt at almost every meal, her favorite being Dora yogurt. She has no idea who Dora is, but she seems to like the texture. Since it was not on sale (and I didn't have a coupon for it) last week, we bought a marked-down Yo Baby yogurt instead. It sounded very promising and parent-approved, organic & made with whole milk, but when we opened the first container, the texture looked disgusting. We gave it to Avery anyway, but she took one lick and made a horrible face. Not one to waste much, I decided to make yogurt pops, combining the rejected yogurt and bananas. I simply put them in a little food processor, took them for a short spin, froze them in Popsicle molds, and voila: Avery's yogurt strike was over! You can tell she didn't enjoy them at all.

Daddy and Avery together forever!

2009-02-10T21:06:00.003-05:00

Avery is a daddy's girl at heart. Since they spend all day together while I'm at work, Avery is always hanging on to Bryan and copying his moves. She loves when we lay on the floor and rough-house, but this evening she took a break and used Bryan for a pillow and "nigh-night" buddy. It was really funny, seeing her use his legs as a bed. She just snuggled in using his bum for a pillow!

Meijer Catalina Deal

2009-02-08T16:14:00.002-05:00

There is a great catalina deal at Meijer this week.

Nature Valley Granola Bars, Fiber One Bars, and Chex Bars: 2/$4
Buy 3, get $1.50 catalina
Buy 4, get $2.50 catalina
Buy 5 or more, get $3.50 catalina

This deal is really only sweet if you use the following coupons:
.60 off 1 Nature Valley HERE
1.00 off 1 Fiber One bars HERE
.50 off 1 Chex Bars--2/8 sunday coupons

My Meijer doubles coupons so I got 5 boxes, paid $ 5.40 and got back a catalina for $3.50. That makes them .38 cents a box. I plan on going back and rolling this deal over again, and then purchasing Cheerios cereal, also 2/$4, and using the Cheerios .50/1 (doubled) in this weeks Sunday paper, to get some low cost cereal!

Little Earthquakes

2009-01-30T22:04:00.003-05:00

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner is a must read if you have had a baby, especially if you have had time to step back from early motherhood and laugh. The book ties the lives of 4 youngish first-time mothers together with the struggles of relationships, body, emotions, and work pre-and post baby. If you have not given birth yet, don't read it, it's too real. Live in your "my life will only change a little bit once I've had a baby" fantasy for as long as you can!

A quick sidenote of frustration!!!

2009-01-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

Well, just like many others, weight loss is one of my New Year's resolutions. Unlike many others, I have not ruined that resolution--yet. To help support this weight loss, the Bevins family is having another Biggest Loser competition, likewise I have joined the Biggest Loser competition at school. However, after one full week of exercising EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL, and being on the weight watchers plan, I have lost exactly 0 lbs. Yes, NOTHING. This is really discouraging, especially since I did weight watchers before and lost about 30 lbs. ARGH!

Daddy dandruff and around the house.

2009-01-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

After unwrapping our new elliptical, we didn't quite take all of the trash out to the trash can. No doubt, Avery was the one to benefit. I swear that girl loves all things trash! After playing all evening, Bryan sat down to play some Playstation, but I couldn't figure out why Avery was so quiet. I looked over at Avery and noticed that she was working very intently on something. That something turned out to be tearing up little pieces of styrofoam (from our trash) and putting it in Bryan's hair, unbeknownst to him. It looked like REALLY bad dandruff, but at the same time, very funny.

Some other pictures from around the house this week: Avery and her amazing mirror dance, and Avery in her lounge chair.

That January weather

2009-01-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

As I'm writing this, Bryan is busy digging us out of 11 inches of snow. Luckily, no school! This morning Avery must have thought something was amiss, with no one saying "bye-bye" in the morning, because she went and put on all MY winter gear, scarf, mittens, ear band, and all. She was so adorable. She kept going to the kitchen door, saying, "bye-bye mama, bye-bye dada."

Last weekend, with another round of snow, we decided to break out the snow suit and let Avery play. No dice! She took one step, fell down, and decided that was enough snow for her. Not to mention the fact that she looked a little like the little brother in The Christmas Story with her gigantic snow suit. Now, everytime someone comes in the door with snow on their snows she says "oh, no!"

Daddy's hat

2009-01-16T07:15:00.000-05:00

I have been enjoying the past weeks cold weather, but only because of the school delays and closings. It almost makes it worth going out in below 0 weather if you get paid the same amount for 2 hours less work. Today, school is cancelled altogether because of the frigid temperatures . . . I mean, it's only, like, -13 below right now. At any rate, Avery and I are going to get to enjoy the day together while Bryan goes to an interview in Bunker Hill, IN.

Avery is getting to be very vocal these days, copying everything we say, and saying "I wuf you" to everyone, including Meijer checkout personnel, when she says "bye, bye." This morning, she said "blueberry" as clear as a bell. She is also staring to sing, her favorite songs being "E-I-E-I-O" (Old MacDonald), and Ring Around the Roses. She is also making up lost time for her months of picky eating, now, practically eating everything in sight. This morning, for example, she ate an entire bowl of cheerios and a small container of yogurt. Before, her breakfasts would consist of a few bites of oatmeal. Yesterday, she ate LoMein, Mac & Cheese, sauteed green beans, broccoli, peaches, and sweet & sour chicken at Red Sun, our favorite Chinese restaurant. She ate for an hour! She is definitely growing up right before our eyes. At least she lets me rock her to sleep. I think, for me, as long as I can rock her, she will still be a baby to me!

Funny Faces

2009-01-15T20:55:00.000-05:00

Our little copy cat is having fun making faces as of late. She is definitly a ham!

Cross your fingers

2009-01-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

So it is about 8 p.m. and no one has tossed their cookies today at the VanDervort house! A great accomplishment. Cross your fingers that the worst is over. Avery is still really clingy and slept a majority of the day and spent the rest of the day sitting or laying with me on the couch. She has been asking to go "nigh-night" for the past couple of days, both for nap and at bedtime. Those of you who have been around Avery knows that she is always on-the-go, so for her to sit around all day and ask to go to bed, you know she is not feeling well. Bryan has been a great help to me and Avery while we have been sick, which is especially admirable since he was sick at the beginning of the week. Hopefully all of us are on the quick road to recovery. I couldn't help, before I was sick myself, to sneak a few quick pictures of Avery on the "sick couch." Even with the flu, she is so cute!

Home with Avery

2009-01-01T20:17:00.000-05:00

It has been fun having two whole weeks off for Christmas. I sometimes feel guilty about not getting to spend more time with Avery during the week. She is at a really fun age, copying everything, saying new words everyday, and generally entertaining both Bryan and myself. Here are a few pictures I took this week.

Our budding gymnast

2009-01-01T20:06:00.000-05:00

Tiffany . . . this is just for you! Sarah taught Avery to put her head on the ground, but today, she started pushing off and rolling over. So, to avoid neck injury, I helped her do several somersaults. She loved it! She kept clapping, smiling, and running back to me for more help. It is so cool.

Stomach Flu

2009-01-01T08:04:00.000-05:00

Bryan has been sick with the stomach flu for more than 24 hours. What a way to spend your days off for New Year's, huh? At any rate, he finally slept for more than an hour last night, so I am hoping that the worst is over. He has been sequestered in our bedroom for the last day and a half. Avery asks me every, oh, thirty seconds, "Da-da?" So, Lysol in hand, I have have been spraying every surface in the bedroom and bathroom. Hopefully Avery and I will have been blessed enough to bypass the HORRIBLE flu strain Bryan has been struck with!

Christmas

2008-12-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

Our family was extremely busy this Christmas.

Bryan's dad, Mike, flew in from Florida and spent the weekend before Christmas in Muncie. We went out to eat after Eric drove up to meet us in Muncie. We spent Saturday catching up, watching football, and watching Avery. I think Grandpa read a book about fuzzy, baby animals 10 times! Sunday I made brunch and we all repeated Saturday's activities. We are always sad to see Mike leave because we know it may be another year before we see each other.

Bryan, Avery, and I opened presents at home on the 23rd. On Christmas Eve, we traveled to Bloomington to have Christmas with Grandma Bert and Eric. We opened presents on Christmas Eve and had our big Christmas meal the following day. Avery really enjoyed getting spoiled by Eric and Grandma Bert. She received several babies, a potty seat, books, and a plethera of dinnerware. She also spent a lot of time playing and dancing with her music table from Grandma. Unfortunatly I forgot my camera and was unable to capture some of the finer moments of the holiday in Bloomington.

Christmas day we left Bloomington, en route to Hollansburg, to see my parents (minus a few car problems). There we were greeted by a house full of friends and family playing cards, eating, and socializing. Bryan skipped out shortly after we arrived since he had to work Friday. My mom and I went deal shopping the day after Christmas, and the whole family watched Avery open her gifts that evening. She got Dora sunglasses, which she DID NOT want to take off, a rocking chair, puzzles, and some foaming bath soap. Bryan got some "movie money" which will come in handy for our next "date." I recieved some of the coolest office supplies that I have ever seen.

Saturday was our final Christmas, the Bevins family Christmas at my grandmother's. The whole crew, minus a few older kids who have moved far away (insert tear for Tiffany and Hank), was there. After a huge meal, we opened presents and ate and ate and ate. Avery particuarly liked the rice crispy treats! Avery got socks and tights, princess dinnerware, and a Wiggles dance mat. We left Hollansburg after packing up the car . . . and arrived home only to leave everthing in the car to mess with in the morning. We collapsed and slept hard. I was so glad to be home in my own bed. What a holiday!

Not the intended purpose

2008-12-18T19:51:00.000-05:00

I went Christmas shopping in my parent's attic for Avery. Among things like a baby high chair and a sweeper, I got a baby cradle. Yes, one intended for Avery's baby dolls. Fortunately for Avery, she just fits in it perfectly; to sit up anyway. Several times over the last couple of days, Avery has been found in the baby cradle, covered-up with her blanket. Oh, and of course she is with her beloved hairbands.

Potty Training

2008-12-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

So yeah, potty training is going not so well. I think that once I can be home with Avery for a few days straight, it will go better. Between here and the babysitters house, it has been difficult to maintain consistency. Avery SCREAMS "Potty, Potty, Potty" when she doesn't want to do something because she knows that she can at least delay the inevitable for a few minutes because I will take her to the bathroom. She could sit on her potty for 20 minutes reading; at least that is funny. Other than that . . . there is no humor in potty training.

Potty

2008-12-03T20:40:00.001-05:00

I know for most of you it is not newsworthy . . . but Avery used the potty for the first time tonight! The beginning of the end of diapers!

Chicken

2008-12-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

I don't know who taught her this . . . probably a kid at the babysitter's house . . . but for some random reason, Bryan was making chicken sounds at dinner . . . I know . . . why I don't know . . . and Avery started "flapping" her arms. Bryan had only made the sounds . . . never the motions. It was so funny . . . here it is for you to enjoy . . .

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-02T19:28:00.000-05:00

Avery and I put up our Christmas tree today, and sticking with tradition, my family's favorite Christmas tunes were playing in the background; Mariah Carey, the Beach Boys, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Herb Alpert. It was so special to have Avery help decorate the tree, especially putting on her "baby's first christmas" ornament. Now the trick will be keeping her from taking all of the ornaments off of the tree. She thinks all of the red ornaments are "apples." So far she hasn't tried to eat any of them, but . . . . you never know.

Let's get physical, physical

2008-12-02T19:23:00.000-05:00

Seriously Tiffany . . . these headbands are the greatest toy EVER. Avery plays with them and tries them on non stop. This reminds me of the 80's . . . and Olivia Newton John's song "Let's get physical." So hilarious. By the way Tiffany . . . she says "cheese" everytime I unzip the camera case.

Avery's first bra

2008-11-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

Considering the family history, Avery is right on track trying on her first bra.

Daddy and Avery

2008-11-30T16:54:00.000-05:00

So cute! Daddy and Avery enjoying video games together.

Early Christmas Presents

2008-11-30T16:45:00.000-05:00

Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Hank were home for Thanksgiving for a week, and while here, gave Avery her Christmas presents (they won't be here for Christmas . . . boo). Avery is enjoying her magnetic letters. She is always at the refrigerator saying "two, three, apple," and playing with the letters. She is also enjoying her hair band collection. She spent a lot of time trying on all of the hairbands. P.S. she does not like it when I try to wear her hair bands.

Pumpkin Again!

2008-11-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

I blogged about the huge pumpkin earlier this month, but I thought today, how many pumpkin muffins can I really make? It happened that today was rainy/snowy and cold, and in my mind that means warm, homey baked goods. To my husband that means chili. I satisfied us both, making a crock pot of chili and pumpkin waffles (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Waffles-104264) for Avery and I. The pumpkin waffles were REALLY good, just the thing to make you want to curl up with the plate and start a movie. Instead though, I ate mine standing up in the kitchen, busy making the rest of the batch of waffles (to freeze) and feeding my hungry toddler. Avery ate 1 1/2 waffles and a whole banana. I was glad she liked the waffles because otherwise I would be eating the 2 dozen waffles I froze.

Random Cute Pictures

2008-11-15T09:55:00.001-05:00

Here are some random cute pictures that I have taken over the last couple of weeks.

The toy rags persist and evolve

2008-11-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post earlier this month about Avery playing with some rags. The playing has evolved into using the rags as blankets for her babies. She carefully, really carefully lays the rags out flat, with no wrinkles, and lays her babies, or lego people on the "blankets." Usually, then she covers them up completely with another rag. Then she moves all of the people and repeats the process. The other evening, Avery had 2 babies and 2 lego people out playing with the rags. She is so serious when she is doing this . . . and it keeps her occupied for quite sometime.

Avery is a genius!

2008-11-15T09:38:00.001-05:00

No kidding . . . I went to help Avery pick-up her toys before bath, when I glanced at her bus. Well, you look and see whether you would be surprised. Enough said.

Mullets are my worst nightmare

2008-11-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Avery is getting a mullet. I know you just started laughing, come on, a non-intentional mullet on a little toddler girl, its sorta funny, or sad, or whatever. For a long time Bryan and I have joked about Avery's lack of hair, but over the last few months it has actually started to grow . . . mostly at the back. Ok, laugh again. At any rate, it looked particularly bad the other day, so I got out the small hair ties and tried to fashion a solution. The pigtails, I thought, came out really well. I was getting ready to go to Target for some shopping, happy that I had solved the bad mullet hair day, until I laid Avery down to change her diaper. Laying down=death to pigtails. Or, at least when your pigtails are 1/2 inch long. Oh well, here we come Billy Ray!

Sarah's Birthday Party

2008-11-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we celebrated my sister Sarah's birthday party. It was mom's idea to do a "spa" birthday for the girls, so I went over to help with facials, manicures, and hair. The girls finished the evening with a fashion show including old dance and halloween costumes. The girls looked so cute! Even Avery was not left out. My mom dressed her in her own "pretty dress," which she modeled along with an apple she stole from the diaper bag.

I know . . . I haven't blogged lately.

2008-11-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

I have been incredibly busy lately with school work. My class competes in a Social Studies compeition every year called "We the People." It takes a lot of extra work, often more for me sometimes than the students. In fact, I'm even having a Saturday session for students today to come in and practice--since the competition is on Monday. If you are incredibly bored and want to see what this entails for the students, check out www.civiced.org and click on "We the People." Go ahead--try and answer the questions the students are supposed to know. I bet you will be floored at what they are expected to learn!

Eating my decorations . . . MMMMM!

2008-11-02T19:52:00.001-05:00

So, I don't carve pumpkins or get too fancy decorating for any season (last year we were in the crawling phase, this year the -- I will destroy or throw away anything within reach phase), but after reading several "frugal mom" blogs I decided to eat my fall decorations. Despite warnings from several online sources saying the pumpkins I bought were not the best for eating (yet edible), I set about dismembering my mammoth pumpkin. I was skeptical after starting the the somewhat harrowing task of taking the skin off of the pumpkin--that my efforts would be rewarded. After taking the skin off of the pumpkin, dicing, roasting, pureeing, and straining the pumpkin (2 hours), I was left with about 10 cups of pumpkin puree. That's pretty good considering I paid less than $4 for the pumpkin, and used it for a decoration for about a month. Out of this pumpkin that most would consider no good trash, I made pumpkin muffins with streusel topping and mini muffins for Avery to take to the sitters to share for snack.

The best part of the day . . . seeing Bryan eat his words. He told me he hated pumpkin and would never eat it--I begged him to try the muffins. You know what happened right? Yeah, he loved them.

Here is the link to the recipe that I used--I didn't have all the spices, so I used 3 tsp. cinn. and 3 tsp. allspice instead. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Muffins-II/Detail.aspx

Old rags = great toys?

2008-11-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

Our student council did a teacher car wash at school this year--and being one of the sponsors, I brought home all of the rags to wash. They have been sitting in our kitchen in a bucket for about a month (what can I say, I keep forgetting to take the bucket back to school). Recently, Avery has been going into the kitchen, taking rags from the bucket, and using them for toys. Today she was laying on the couch using them to cover up (both her and Bryan) and this evening she was using them as baby blankets for her babies. Besides the duplo blocks from my parents house, this is her favorite ?toy? right now! Weird, I know!

I think I robbed Meijer!

2008-11-01T20:52:00.000-04:00

I know the title sounds bad . . . but can I tell you that sometimes couponing can seem like robbery! I do however feel a great sense of accomplishment when I see the total of my order fall-especially into single digits. I went to Meijer today, hoping the there were still some good "mealbox" coupon items to be had. I made two trips, the second after realizing that I needed some coupons that I left at home to make some awesome deals. My first trip was good, I only spent about $40 for groceries for the week. My goal is $50/week. I went back and spend $10.42 (including tax). This trip is the one I am really proud of! Here's how it went down:

Transaction #1:

3 Glade plug-in scented oil refills (12.76)

4 boxes jello (2.00)

4 boxes Kellogs cereal (10.00)

4 boxes velveeta shells & cheese (6.67)

-2.00 off when you buy 4 boxes Kellogs (auto coupon weekly deal)

-4.00 (4 $1.00 off printable coupons Kellogs cereal)

-6.38 ( 2 BOGO Glade refills)

-3.00 (2 $1.50 off 2 Glade refills)

-3.00 (2 $1.50 off 2 boxes jello--meijer mealbox coupons)

-4.00 (2 $2.00 off 2 boxes velveeta shells & cheese--meijer mealbox coupons)

-3.50 (now that I'm looking close at the receipt the cashier must have rang my mealbox coupons an extra time--I'll have to go to the customer service desk next trip)

with tax TOTAL: 6.44

(also printed off 2-$2.00 off next order coupons for glade plug ins, $1.00 off next order from cereal, & 3.00 off next order from shells & cheese)

Transaction #2

2 Lysine Supplements (BOGO-5.29)

bananas (not pictured) 1.45

brown sugar 1.34

flour 1.86

5 Green Giant Steamers 6.67

-$8.00 (catalina coupons from transaction #1)

-5 $1.00 off Green Giant Steamers

with tax TOTAL: 3.98

This is a lot of food for just over $10--which should be just under $14. Even then it would have been a great deal! I think that I am definitly stocked up on mac & cheese & cereal - I bought 4 boxes of both in my first trip to Meijer!

Doggie Guilt

2008-10-30T07:58:00.000-04:00

Brutus is gone. No, not dead, but with Bryan working days now, we decided to try and find a new home for Brutus. With golden retrievers being such social dogs, we felt really guilty having him stay home, cooped up in the kitchen for 9 hours every day.

Fortunately, we found a good home for him on Sunday. Sadly, the daughter of a childhood acquaintance of mine's dog died of food poisoning (dog food). The little girl is 4 and was devastated. My parents had just happened to mention that we were looking for a new home for Brutus to the family. Their family came on Sunday to check out Brutus and see if he got along well with their little girl. And---of course he did! Brutus loves kids. After about an hour they loaded him up in the car and took him home. Sadly for us--gladly for their family.

I had a dream the other night that the family brought him back to us and left him in the kitchen while we were sleeping. They left a note saying that he was too dark. I told my mom . . . she said it must be doggie guilt.

Sarah Palin

2008-10-17T20:47:00.000-04:00

Today Mark and I were riding home after picking-up Avery from the sitters house . . . and low and behold, a bird, a plane . . . a McCain/Palin plane! We happened to be driving by the Muncie airport, at the exact time of touchdown. Mark and I continued driving, and then I thought, maybe we could turn around and see if we could actually see Sarah. So yeah, we waited, along with about 20 other people, about 45 minutes, to see Palin drive away waving. Palin was actually on her way to Indy for a rally. I tried to take pictures with my cell phone, but I didn't manage to get a good one. Oh well.

The "Naughty Rug" and Make-up

2008-10-17T20:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I left Avery in the living room long enough to refill Brutus' water . . . and she was eerily quiet. When I peeked in to check on her, I found her with my case of beauty tools. Not only was the case totally empty, but she was using the blush brush, tapping it on a mirror, then "applying" the make-up to her cheeks. She played with these brushes for a good 30 min, a marathon play session for our busy girl.

If you haven't been around Avery much lately, you should know that she has become Miss Attitude (by the way, I have no idea where she got this from). If she does not get her own way, watch out for a screaming/crying fit. For about the last month, when Avery starts these crying fits, told her to sit in "her corner" until she was done crying. This usually doesn't last long, but we made "her corner" more comfortable with the addition of a rug that says Sheriff. Of course she doesn't see the irony in the rug, but Bryan and I thought it was hilarious.

Avery laying on the floor crying in "her corner." Obviously, she was not having a good day. The crying fit lasted long enough that I had time to get the camera and capture this special moment.

The BIRDS

2008-10-17T20:01:00.000-04:00

Avery yelling . . . BIRDS! (It comes out more like BWRD)

Alfred Hitchcock has nothing on me! Look closely at this tree . . . that's right, they are not leaves, but birds. Every year we get these giant flocks of swarming birds in the woods behind our house. They are sooooooo loud, and kind of creepy. I love the movie THE BIRDS, but this is ridiculous. I took Avery out to witness the swarms. As you can see, she was enthralled.

What a beautiful fall day!

2008-10-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

Thank the Lord for beautiful fall weather! It has been so nice the last few days. I know it won't last as winter will quickly be approaching, leaves gone from the trees, and snow covering the ground. But, for now, Avery and I took advantage of the wonderful "sweater weather," spending Wednesday afternoon outside. She is such a wonderfully curious child, checking out every leaf, stone, and mud clump in the yard.

Michigan Trip

2008-10-16T00:43:00.001-04:00

Avery and Aunt Kim eating ice cream at National
Avery playing at Tanya and Jeff's Avery and Tanya

Avery, Grandma Pingle, and Uncle Mark Avery rocking at Uncle Mark's

Last weekend Bryan, Avery, and I went to Michigan for a job interview (well Bryan did). We also were excited to get to see Bryan's side of the family, whom we don't see often. We left early on Tuesday, car packed to the brim with snacks and toys to keep Avery busy. Really, over all, the car trip went well, which I was really nervous about. We stopped for the first time at the first Michigan rest stop to get out, stretch our legs, and let Avery run.

We arrived in Clawson about noon, stopping first to visit Grandma Pingle. We were able to visit with most of the family on Tuesday, stopping by American Chopper to see Uncle Mark and eating dinner at National Coney with Aunt Kim and Uncle Rick. Bryan wanted to eat at National ... I won't tell you how many coneys he managed to eat, but justified it because he wouldn't get to have them for awhile. Kim wanted to buy Avery ice cream, and as you can see, Avery enjoyed every messy bite. We finished the long day by driving to Auburn Hills to stay with Bryan's cousin Tanya and her husband Jeff.

Avery took to Tanya right away, running into her arms. Tanya had been watching Dancing with the Stars, which Avery quickly noticed and glued herself to the TV. She was exhasted and finally after a bath, she conked out . . . just in time for the adults to watch the presidential debate. Bryan, Tanya, Jeff, and I were able to watch the debate/argue a little/ and catch up at the same time.

Wednesday we were able to meet up with Grandma Pingle and Mark again. We ate lunch with Grandma and Aunt Cindy at Olga's. Seriously . . . Olga's had THE BEST gyros I have ever eaten. I will definitly be craving those for a long time. Shortly after lunch we headed home, missing our exit to stop at IKEA. The trip home seemed so long . . . by the time we got home we were totally worn out. I don't think I have fully recovered yet.

PJs

2008-10-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

It has been so cold this week that I had to break-out Avery's footie pajamas. I forgot that I bought these cute polka-dotted pajamas last year-probably at a Goodwill half-price day. Aren't they cute?

Big bump

2008-10-05T08:59:00.000-04:00

Our beautiful Avery seems to have inherited the clumsy Bevins gene. She is always running everywhere, completely oblivious of rugs, toys, or other things on the floor. Yesterday, she was running in her usual fashion, going nowhere in particular, when she tripped over the edge of a rug, bouncing her head, literally off the jute rug. Not pretty to watch, especially when you feel like the moment is going in slow motion (and you can't get to your child in time to prevent the injury). Avery cried for a whole minute before she wanted to play again. However, within a few minutes, I notice a giant emerging red bump on her head. So to the freezer I sent Bryan, on a quest for an ice pack. Yeah, that didn't last long. Avery would not let me hold that ice pack on her head. SHE wanted to do it herself. Imagine that-another inherited gene-the stubborn one.

New Recipe

2008-10-04T18:10:00.001-04:00

I needed a quick dinner tonight and I ended up creating a delicious recipe out of pantry and freezer staples. It is a pretty inexpensive meal that makes a ton of food. I guess since it's my own recipe, I can name it what I want . . . Creamy Turkey Meatballs and Rice.

1 pgk. frozen meatballs (Aldi always has these cheap)
1 cup frozen peas, cooked
2 cups brown rice
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms (optional)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook frozen meatballs according to pkg. instructions, mine cooked in the oven @ 400 for 10 min. At the same time, cook cream of mushroom soup, 1 1/2 c. water, and onion soup mix. Boil. Reduce heat to low. When meatballs are cooked, add to soup mixture, add mushrooms, oregano, and pepper. Cook rice according to package instructions. Add peas to the rice at the end of cooking to warm through. Put meatballs and sauce on top of rice/pea mixture and serve. It is great. Bryan went back for seconds and Avery even ate it. My two pickiest critics!

The "Coupon Lady"

2008-09-29T19:25:00.000-04:00

Yes, my husband now calls me the coupon lady. Even though I took offense at first, I realized . . . I don't care what I'm called if I am saving money. Bryan initially thought that all my couponing (I dedicate a few minutes each night to searching for new deals) was silly, I knew I could make a difference given the tight financial situation of our family.

I have been inspired my several women writing blogs about couponing and saving money (check out the blogs I follow). In particular there are great deals to be made some weeks at CVS and Walgreens in particular. I am posting my "conquests" this week because I feel particularly proud of my savings, considering I took the time to figure out how to work the deals to spend as little as possible out-of-pocket (oop). A lot of the women posting "money-saving" blogs say that they will not purchase anything that is not free, but I'm not quite there yet. Since I need to buy diapers and baby wipes on a regular basis, I do not mind spending money on these items, especially when I can get them in combination with other deals. Likewise, our family was totally out of razor blades (of which the price is the bane of my existence)! At any rate, check out my savings & how I did it below!

I think after seeing this, Bryan was blown away! Maybe the "coupon lady" will turn into "my coupon princess"!

Walmart

12 Johnson's Buddies Soaps (.97 each)= $11.65

Cascade Dishwasher Crystal Clear Rinse

Used 4 coupons for $3 off 3 products, free Cascade rinse coupon

Total spent $0

CVS

Transaction #1

deal--buy 1 Cover Girl Foundation @ 5.49, get 5.79 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)

Used $1.00 off coupon & Buy one get one free coupon

Got 2 Cover Girl Foundations

Total spent $4.49, earned $5.49 EBCs

Transaction #2

deal--but one Gillette Fusion Razor (with 2 blades) @ 9.99, get 5.00 in EBCs

Used $4.00 off coupon & 5.79 in EBCs (transaction #1)

Total spent .20, earned $5.00 in EBCs

Transaction #3

deal--buy 2 Gillette men's shampoo @ 9.00, get 2.00 in EBCs

Used 2 $2.00 off 1 shampoo & 5.00 in EBCs (transaction #2)

Total spent $0, earned $2.00 in EBCs

Transaction #4

1 pkg. Venus disposable razors @ 4.99

2 Colgate kids toothpastes (on sale for 1.50 each) @3.00

2 Dawn dish soaps (on sale for .99)

Used $2.00 off Venus razors coupon, 2 $1 colgate coupons, 2 $1.00 off dawn coupons & $2.00 in EBCs

Total spent $1.97

Total spent @ CVS $6.66

Walgreens

Transaction #1

deal--buy Gillette Fusion razor @ 8.99, get 4.00 Register Rewards (RR)

Used $4.00 off coupon, Used $1 in-store coupon

Total spent $3.99, earned $4.00 RR

Transaction #2

deal--buy 1 Colorsilk Haircolor @ 1.99, get $1 in RR

deal--buy one Oral-B toothbrush @ 4.49, get $4.50 in RR

Used $1 off Colorsilk in-store coupon, $.75 off Oral-B coupon & $4.00 RR

Total spent $.73, earned $5.50 RR

Transaction #3

deal--buy $14 in Huggies products, get $3 in RR

Huggies diapers @ 9.99, Huggies wipes @ 5.99

Used $1.50 Huggies diaper coupon, $.50 Huggies wipes coupons & $5.50 RR

Total spent $8.48, earned $3 in RR

Transaction #4

deal--Colorsilk hair dye (see above)

Eggs (on sale for 1.29) @ 2.58

2 Crest toothpastes @ 1.99

Used 2 $1.00 off in-store crest coupons, 2 $1.00 off crest coupons, 1 $1.00 off in-store Colorsilk coupon & $3.00 RR

Total Spent $.55

Transaction #5
deal--buy Gillette Fusion razor @ 8.99, get 4.00 Register Rewards (RR)
Used $4.00 off coupon, Used $1 in-store coupon
Total spent $3.99, earned $4.00 RR

Transaction #6

Huggies wipes @ 5.99

Used $.50 off coupon & $4.00 RR

Total spent $1.49

Total spent @ Walgreens $19.23

Total Spent Today $$$$ 25.89 WOW!!!

Toals before coupons, RR, & EBCs=$108.55

Total Saved=$82.66

Big Cookie

2008-09-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'm one of those obsessive moms who want to make sure I hit every major food group in every meal . . . at least with Avery. Avery has been able to sneak a bite or two of dessert every once in awhile, but today I figured, what's the harm in one cookie. Albeit a big chocolate chip cookie, Avery ate the entire thing. I was surprised she ate the whole thing, after scarfing down on vegetable soup, yogurt, and tater-tots. As you can see, she feeds herself, and usually gets her evening bath right after dinner.

I caught these very serene pictures of Avery reading one of her favorite-at-the-moment books after her evening bath. I guess the huge cookie didn't give her a sugar high!

Tiffany and Hank Visit

2008-09-28T15:57:00.000-04:00

Last week my sister Tiffany and her husband Hank came home to visit from Utah. They moved out there for Hank's Air Force transfer in January. My family and I had planned on a summer visit, but skyrocketing gas prices kept us at home. Tiffany called me in July, planning a covert visit that would include a marathon for Hank and a 5K run for herself (at the Wright-Patt Air Force base in Dayton, Ohio). It was really hard to keep the visit a secret from my parents, but I managed. The week before their visit I concocted a story about Bryan and I needing to stay there and cooking a thank-you dinner for all their help after my surgery. Nothing was suspected (or so they told me). That evening, I enlisted the help of my Grandma to help me keep all my siblings at home, rather than have them out golfing, when the "surprise visitors" came. Tiffany and Hank came up the driveway just as dinner was ready, much to everyone's surprise. It was really nice to be able to see them!

Tiffany and Hank did their running on Saturday and came home from the base barely walking, but triumphant in their accomplishments. That evening the extended family and some friends celebrated Hank's 27th birthday with a bonfire. They concluded their visit with church on Sunday and left shortly after lunch. Considering that we hadn't seen them in 9 months, it'll seem like no time has passed when we see them at Thanksgiving.

I hope to post more pictures when Tiffany sends some. Can you believe I forgot my camera?

Sarah's Skirt

2008-09-28T15:48:00.000-04:00

My sister Sarah is an aspiring seamstress. She made this skirt for Avery when she was born. I happened upon the skirt while cleaning out Avery's drawers yesterday. I put the skirt on, and after tucking it into her diaper, she was able to let her wear it for awhile. Thank you Aunt Sarah.

Dancing with Daddy

2008-09-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

Avery loves to dance to just about any music, but rap especially. Bryan was listing to some new music this morning, swooped up Avery in his arms and the two of them danced together. It was way too funny.

New Haircut

2008-09-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

Check out my new haircut . . . it hasn't been this short since high school.

Avery, who else?

2008-09-15T22:16:00.000-04:00

She looks a little evil in this picture!

Bryan, Avery, and I have no big news this week. Bryan has a couple of job interviews and I have been working to get back to full speed since my surgery. Here are some pictures from the week. Avery has been a real hoot this week, spending the majority of her time on the slide, climbing on everthing, and sitting on her new reading bench. Spinning in circles is another new activity for our busy girl.

Popsicle

2008-09-06T09:14:00.000-04:00

This week went by so fast, yet was so tiring. I went back to school on Wednesday, after begging the doctor (he didn't want me to go back until the 9th). Alas, it happened to be a week with a staff meeting, the school open house, and the student council dance (of which I'm the sponsor). So much for taking it easy! At any rate, I feel as though I saw my family very little this week. After picking Avery up at the babysitter around 3:30, the evening activities took me away from her. Luckily, I had some great help. My mom brought supper on the night of the open house and watched Avery for us. The students in Student Council love Avery, and she was content to dance the night away. I wish I would have brought my camera because she was so funny dancing with all of those kids. She loved the lights and the "group dances," especially the CHA-CHA dance. She is such a ham right now!

I didn't take a lot of pictures this week, but I managed to record Avery's first Popsicle. Little did I know that orange Popsicle stained skin, who would have known? She ate the entire Popsicle by herself. After the frozen part was gone, she would dip her fingers into the liquid on her tray and suck her fingers. She couldn't get enough! Her mouth, hands, and belly/chest was stained with the orange dye. It looked fluorescent! Luckily, it washed off after a loooong soak in the bathtub. She loved every minute of it!

Chillaxin with Avery

2008-09-01T21:26:00.000-04:00

Avery relaxing watching cartoons yesterday . . . in a box.

Avery chillin' on her slide reading books.

Avery . . . again chillin' . . . but this time on her rocking horse.

Dancing in the basket

2008-08-30T13:52:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month I posted a picture of Avery playing in a basket that Bryan's mom gave us. She has continued, despite my best efforts, to use it as a toy rather than a storage device. Here's a video of her dancing in the basket. Her shirt is completely wet on the front because he learned how to drool purposely also.

Glad to be at home!

2008-08-30T13:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you who didn't know, I have been suffering from gallstones since just after Avery was born. Me, being stubborn, cancelled the surgery that I had scheduled for July to remove my gallbladder. I hadn't been really sick in a few months and of course I knew better than the doctors and decided to postpone the surgery until I was "really sick." Well, to make a long story short, I ended up in the emergency room early (really early) Thursday morning, and had my gallbladder taken out the same day. I am sore and tired, but glad to be at home. Bryan is doing a great job tending to all my needs, and for the most part Avery is not being too needy. The hardest part of the surgery is that I can't pick Avery up for about a week, so she and I are finding creative ways to get around this. For all of you who have called and offered help and prayers, thank you!

Avery and Brutus

2008-08-24T20:08:00.001-04:00

Avery loves our Golden Retriever, Brutus. He is limited to being in the kitchen, but Avery spends quality time loving on our dog. Believe me, he has an affinity for her as well. He loves to lick her feet . . . ewww, but Avery loves it. She hugs him, lays on him, and points (rather pokes) at his eyes. She loves to try and touch his paws, which really annoys him, but he lets Avery poke and prod all she wants. These two certainly are a pair.

Hangin out with Daddy

2008-08-24T20:03:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures Bryan took this week while I was at work. Avery loves wearing Bryan's hats.

Avery, Avery, Avery

2008-08-24T19:31:00.000-04:00

Avery is doing all kinds of things to make me nervous. This week she turned into a climbing machine. She loves to climb; the futon, the couch, on my back, up on my knees, and even my chest. Yesterday, I was sitting in our living room, which is right beside the playroom, when I heard Avery let out a Tarzan-like yell. I glanced in and didn't see her. I looked in a little closer, and this is what I found:

No, I don't know how she got up there, but she was swinging her baby in the air screaming like a madwoman. I grabbed the camera, took a few pictures and promptly got her down, told her "no," and sat her in the corner. Not 5 minutes later, as she and I were playing, she tried to climb up there again. Argh.

Follow-up story . . . I guess yesterday I finally got through to Avery that she couldn't climb on her shelves. I guess I need to be more clear for the toddler who is clearly testing her limits. Today she was using it as a chair. Less dangerous I guess . . .

The GREAT Darke County Fair

2008-08-21T21:56:00.000-04:00

Bryan and I took Avery to her first visit to the GREAT Darke County Fair today. For those of you who are from Darke County, I need not say more. It is a family tradition to go to the fair. My great-grandpa Bevins was the oldest male attendee at the fair for several years. His last visit to the fair was at 104 years old. The fair always makes me think of my grandpa Bevins, who spent most of his evenings at the fair. Every year he would buy Darke County Fair collectors coins and a commemorative hat. He and grandma would sit at the gazebo and watch the entertainment and visit with friends.

For you Darke Country foreigners, this county fair is one of the largest county fairs in the Midwest. Except for the last two years, I have been to the fair every year since I was born. I would love if Avery could say the same when she is older. The fair boasts food, rides, and a host of other activities, booths, and animal attractions. Bryan and I enjoyed a funnel cake . . . mmm, soft frozen lemonade, and corn dogs. Avery

particularly enjoyed the corn dog. We took Avery to see the dogs, goats (who scared her to tears), cows, and rabbits. There was a little petting zoo where Avery fed a cow, deer, goats (this time she didn't cry), and a llama. Avery also had her first pony rides, which she wasn't to sure of in the beginning, but loved toward the end.

One of my favorite things about the Darke County Fair is that you never know who you might run into. My aunt Mary, who we don't see often, was working at a booth and we spent some time catching up. My high school french teacher, Mr. Neleigh, walked out of the fair as we were going in. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Montgomery was there . . . and surprisingly, she remembered me. We chatted for a good while and then said our good-byes. It was a hot afternoon, and after about three hours, we were ready to call it quits. We topped off the day with a stop by my parents house for dinner and some time with the fam. It was a wonderful mid-day break from the monotony of our working lives. I think we wore Avery out . . . she slept like a rock all the way home.

Visit from Grand-dad and Grandma VanDervort

2008-08-17T14:24:00.000-04:00

Today we got to visit with Bryan's Grand-dad and Grandma VanDervort. We haven't seen them since just before I got pregnant, so they have only seen Avery by way of pictures and video. They live in Florida and have been traveling all summer, so Bryan and I were happy that they were making their way through Indiana. Although we only had a brief visit over lunch, Avery got to spend some quality time with her great-grandparents, who came bearing a piggy bank and a pink teddy bear. We had a wonderful visit and hope to be able to make it to Florida to see them in the near future.

A week in pictures

2008-08-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

I don't have anything exciting to report this week. I started back teaching full-time this week, and boy, am I glad it's Friday. I have all 8th graders this year, and I am looking forward to seeing what the students can achieve.

I've posted some pictures of Avery that I have taken over the course of the week. Her new favorite activity is playing "dress-up." She starts every morning by watching the Wiggles while I get ready for work, but quickly proceeds to find any stray article of clothing and start the dress-up marathon. She is also enjoying trying on her Aunt Sarah's hand-me-down headbands. Avery has also enjoyed getting in and out of a basket that Grandma Bert gave to us. I tried to use it for toy storage in her playroom, but Avery proceeded to take out all of the toys and sit in it instead.

Some Avery milestone updates:

Words added to her vocabulary-socks, daddy, MOM-MOM-MOM, bye-bye, woof!, bath, banana, Bru (for our dog Brutus), monkey, egg, apple, ball, bottom, bear. Of course these are the "real" words. She says some version of these words.

New skills-climbing on our futon, couch, and coffee table, brushing her own teeth (kind of), organizing my laundry, playing with her belly button, picking-up her own toys, and using a fork.

Jethro Jeans

2008-08-09T23:05:00.001-04:00

I got some great deals on some very cute, but too big clothes for Avery. I was busily trying to get Avery to model all of my garage sale finds when she grew weary of this and started to read some of her books. At the time, I was trying jeans on her, particularly overalls. I couldn't resist taking some pictures of her looking very "country" in her shirtless and overalls look. My little Jethro baby.

Bloomington Again

2008-08-09T22:46:00.001-04:00

This weekend we helped Bryan's brother Eric move. After a little grunt work . . . not much though, he's a college guy who lives simply, we went to the Bloomington Hospital Employee/Family Picnic with Grandma Bert and Eric. Avery got her first taste of cotton candy (not impressed) and chowed down on a hot dog. Bryan got a free "Dr. Seuss" hat and Avery playfully added to the fashion statement by offering her hat as well. It was a beautiful day for a picnic. Bryan, surprisingly let us take a picture of our family without any fuss. It is actually the first picture of our family taken since Christmas. We had a rushed, but great day.

Tigers

2008-08-05T21:14:00.000-04:00

Aunt Tanya gave Avery her first Tigers t-shirt for her birthday. Until now, it has been too big. Here is its debut.

By the way, Avery is now climbing on everything now; our futon, coffee table, and couch. Notice her first "shiner" that she has near her right eye. She fell on our porch trying to climb up her slide. Here is the proof . . .

Little Miss Muffet

2008-08-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

Little Miss Muffet . . . I mean Avery . . . sat on her tuffet, reading her books all day!

Avery must have decided that the floor of her playroom was not comfortable enough, so she took a pillow from the couch and used it as a seat today. She sat on it reading books, inquisitively pointing to animals asking, huh? I've also posted some pictures I took this weekend with Avery wearing her new hat.

Apple Pie

2008-08-03T15:15:00.000-04:00

I've decided to start blogging about my adventures in food. Yes, I am a total chef wanna-be. I grew up with a mom who cooked nearly every meal for our family. My mom is my inspiration as a cook, mainly because of her own try-it-once attitude toward recipes. I have always enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, not just for the express purpose of cooking, but for time to chat and catch-up with my family. I thought I would share some of my successes and horrible failures. I'm not one for recipes (except in baking), so a lot of the creations I post here may not be measured in exact terms, but rather in proportions.

I blame my mom for my fear of pies. Let me explain . . . I love eating pies. I LOVE PIE, my favorite being a three way tie between cherry with crumb topping, black raspberry, and chocolate-brownie pie. Alas, my mom is a pie queen, a master, if you will. She has been making pies en mass for as long as I can remember. For her, it never seems to be a chore. Perfectly rolled out crusts evenly pinched along the rim, just waiting to be filled a variety of homemade fruits or custards. Then when filled, a perfectly crunchy crumb topping or a beautifully cut out crust adorning the top. Now, for the irrational fear. From top to bottom, pie making seems to me a daunting task. You know why . . . you've eaten the hard-as-a-rock crusts and flavorless, dry fillings of some homemade pies. Its sad . . . you eat the pie begrudgingly and tell the baker how much you enjoyed it. You didn't. I don't want to be that cook. I want to live-up to my mom's pie legacy. To add to this pie fear, I have had more than a few pie failures, most of which my husband ate, but never seemed to comment on. Plus, you know its bad if there is still pie in our house after a couple of days.

To conquer this irrational fear, I started with the crust. I have to admit I've had mild success with the store-bought crust, but I feel that to live up to this legacy, that would be cheating. If you choose that crust, no hard feelings, but I can't bring myself to do it, I have a guilty conscience. I have discovered that the Alton Brown crust recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/) is the easiest and best-tasting crust.

Since I have an abundance of apples on my apple tree, I peeled, cored, and sliced about 6 cups of apples, added 1 1/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. flour, a little cinnamon and allspice, and filled the crust. Finally I topped it with crumble topping made with 1/2 c. butter, a little cinnamon, 1/4 c. walnuts, and 3/4 c. of each of the following: brown sugar, flour, and oats. For once, this pie lived up to my high pie standards (of course after it dripping in the over causing really smoky kitchen). MMMM!

First Ponytail

2008-07-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

It has been a running joke for Bryan and I that Avery will be bald forever. Most of the time I dress her in pink so that people know that she is a girl. Alas the day has come where I was able to get just enough hair together to get a ponytail. The ponytail lasted just a few minutes before Avery destroyed it by combing the hair-tie out. I think it will still be quite awhile before she can actually wear a ponytail on a regular basis.

Just for Tiffany

2008-07-19T22:53:00.001-04:00

Tiffany . . . since you check for new pictures every day, I took these today just for you!

Pool Party

2008-07-18T19:01:00.000-04:00

Avery received a pool from Grandma Bert for her birthday. We broke it out today and had our first at-home pool party. She is learning so fast, and after I filled up the pool with the hose, she was quick to grab it and try to do it also. This "pool party" only lasted about 1/2 hr. because she was terribly distracted by wanting to play in the rocks in the driveway. I guess that was her beach. Alas, it was fun to watch her splashing around.

Books and Babies

2008-07-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

What is Avery up to these days can be summed-up in two words . . . books and babies. All day she brings me books, plops down on my lap, and proceeds to point at all the animals in the books, asking me what they are in an indescribable "uh?" It's very funny.

Some of Avery's new academic skills . . .

Words she can say: dog, shoes, momma, dadda, girl, bath, bug, baby.

She knows the animal sounds that a lion and elephant make.

She knows how to turn lights off and on, sweep the floor (with her duster), wash her belly, put clothes away, put her toys away, hugs the dog (and Bryan and I), and gives kisses to everything with a face.

She is getting so big.

Watch out Jackie Joyner-Kersee

2008-07-09T21:17:00.000-04:00

Bryan and I spend a fair amount of time at the Delta Middle School track trying to stay in shape. Avery is always in tow, but since she started walking a couple of months ago she is no longer content to stay in her stroller and play with her toys. No, she wants to be out and running around with us. On this particular day Bryan and I were really impressed. Not only did she make it 3/4 of the way around the track (stopping only to pose for the camera), she stayed in one lane the entire time! Just one look at her face while she is running shows how much she loves it.

The Family VanDervort

Skinny Cow Giveaway

Another giveaway . . .

Easter 2009

Big CVS Moneymaker

The great block tower

Hair-bows and pigtails

Target & CVS Shopping 4/6 (Game Snacks)

Random Pictures from the Week of 3-22

Whoever said kids were sedentary while watching t.v. . . .

Shopping Deals for the Week

DaBib Giveaway

Goodwill Half-Price Day

Sermon Notes Sunday, March 22

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Random Pictures from the Week of 3-15

Cinnamon Crunch Granola

Avery's New Big Girl Bed

Shredded Wheat Stockpile

Another giveaway winner!

More Postings Soon . . .

Giveaway Winner

Cinna Heaven . . .

Cheerios/Fake Ginger Giveaway

A Chip off the Ol' Block

Garnier, Huggies, and Orbit, oh my!

Pigtails and the Dora tent

Enjoying the Heating Vents

Wild Hair

The yogurt strike continues . . .

Visit from Grandma and Eric

Talking with ATTITUDE!

Under $8.00 @ Meijer

Making the best of Avery's yogurt strike

Daddy and Avery together forever!

Meijer Catalina Deal

Little Earthquakes

A quick sidenote of frustration!!!

Daddy dandruff and around the house.

That January weather

Daddy's hat

Funny Faces

Cross your fingers

Home with Avery

Our budding gymnast

Stomach Flu

Christmas

Not the intended purpose

Potty Training

Potty

Chicken

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Let's get physical, physical

Avery's first bra

Daddy and Avery

Early Christmas Presents

Pumpkin Again!

Random Cute Pictures

The toy rags persist and evolve

Avery is a genius!

Mullets are my worst nightmare

Sarah's Birthday Party

I know . . . I haven't blogged lately.

Eating my decorations . . . MMMMM!

Old rags = great toys?

I think I robbed Meijer!

Doggie Guilt

Sarah Palin

The "Naughty Rug" and Make-up

The BIRDS

What a beautiful fall day!

Michigan Trip

PJs

Big bump

New Recipe

The "Coupon Lady"

Big Cookie

Tiffany and Hank Visit

Sarah's Skirt

Dancing with Daddy