Random Friday...

BROWNIES ...... I love 'em!!!!

I found this great recipe on the internet from someone, and I altered a few ingredients (or rather omit them) and these things are so delightful. I'm surprised because I made some this afternoon, and from the entire pan I made, I've only eaten one brownie. (by the way that's good... of course, the kids are headed off to bed, and when I'm done here, well....you can probably guess that I'll eat at least one more) Do you blame me??

CREDIT CARDS..... I Hate 'em!!!   

Well, just the fact that they are easy to use, but twice or ten times as hard to pay back.  We're using tax return money to pay off all the higher interest balances that we had, and that will leave us with only 1 that we will make payments on and hopefully be rid of it by the end of this year.  (Crossing my fingers.)  We're looking into buying a newer, bigger house in the near future that is about 2-3 years away maybe and really would like to have our finances in our control again, and keep them that way.  Although, having a credit card is great when emergencies come up, but not for impulse spending.  So now my motto is this " if I say to myself that I can just put it on the credit card .... a bells and whistles sound should go off, and then I should know that I need to talk with Chris (my spouse) before doing such a thing."    I'm committed... and so is he... I really think that this will work, but only if we don't face any catastrophe's this year before we're ready to be rid of the debt.  

Valentines Day..... (NOT SURE WHAT I THINK???)  

It's nice and all to have some kind of "Special Day" but seriously since I'm married, I like my Anniversary more.  Not that I don't like Valentines Day but there just isn't any thought behind any of it.  My husband isn't romantic (well not all the time, he has it in him if he really tries) and we have 5 kids.  No one really wants to watch 5 kids, and I don't like "farming" them out.  I like them to all be together. Call me weird, but I do.   Luckily the oldest girls are old enough for us to start going on dates every week, and leaving them here at home to "babysit".  So it's getting easier, and I find that I look forward to our date night.  We're not rich, so we can't afford the "FANCY SCHMANSY"  places that I hear lots of couples go for the big day's celebration.   So we're going out for dinner tomorrow night... not sure where.   But I know it'll be fun.  But for Valentines Day which falls on Sunday this year I'll make the family Chicken Enchiladas.... and we'll make some valentines cookies.  (Basically a sugar cookie that they cut out in heart shapes.)  But we really make a bigger deal out of our Anniversary.... am I the only one that feels and thinks this same way???

YEARBOOK ---- 

I'm the committee chair this year for the yearbook at the elementary school my children attend.  This will be my third year working on the yearbook, and so far I feel like I'm just a puppet doing what the PTO says I should do.  I have to include things that they want, even after I tell them we don't have room.  I can't really do things the way I want to, and when the first deadline came, I was told to not submit the batch. But to wait until the March final deadline to submit everything.  Well, at least those pages are done, now it's just time to fix the activity pages and get pictures of activities that have gone on throughout the year.  I don't want any complaining because, if you aren't helping to "build it" or supplying us with much needed pictures, or helping to sponsor the book... then really if I'm the chairperson... let me be.  Please.  I don't know if I want to do this again next year, because ...well it's a whole long story I could put into a different post. It's seriously a stressful ordeal, when too many hands get into the project. 

Okay so that's it for my Random Ranting and Praising .... Remember these are just my thoughts, and are subject to change without further notice.

Merry SITSmas to You....

Merry SITsmas to all you blogger people out there.... SITS is a place where lots and lots of bloggers have linked up and share and get comments on their blogs. It is seriously amazing!!! I love it. Even though I've only been aware of it for a few weeks now.


Well, here are some things I've been thinking about that I want to either work on next year or continue to do....

1. I love the fact that I've stumbled upon vlogging!!! I love it!! It's a great way to feel like I'm getting "adult" time in while being kept here at home with two little boys. (Who I love very much by the way) So this next year I want to continue to vlog, and this will also be beneficial to my family in years to come. okay, maybe not. But I'm hoping so.


2. I want to focus my energy on getting all the scrap booking finished for the last few years since I've gone to using a digital camera!! It shouldn't be too hard, if I'd just take the time to figure out the pages and events that need to be documented. I love to digi-scrap and love the stuff I've come up with so far. And want to continue to learn all I can in that area.


3. I want to remember to be HAPPY! So many times, I find the slightest little thing and that causes me to be upset ALL day. NO MORE!! I just want to be HAPPY and part of that is going to help me try to overcome the tendency of yelling over stupid things towards my family members. (No I don't do this all day all the time, but some days it may seem like that) I know kind of depressing. But this is something that's important to me and going to be a real challenge!!


4. I want to build the friendships I've got already, and make them stronger. Whether it's with family members or those in my neighborhood, or those I've recently met through blogging. I can learn so much from those around me, and look forward to getting to know each of you better.


5. I want to get on a regular work out schedule once again. In college, I was working out on a regular basis and loved the way I felt. Had so much energy, and got plenty of sleep. (Oh yeah, the big difference between then and now, might be due to the fact that I now have 5 children to tend to, and no quick and easy or FREE access to work out facilities). But we're hoping to buy a membership to the rec center here, and the hubs and I will start "WORKING OUT!!" and shedding some pounds of FAT that have accumulated this last year.

Hope that you all have a Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or whatever you might be celebrating at this time in your life!!!

I'm still working on my Christmas Cards for this year and don't want to let the cat out of the bag as to what they'll look like until I get them mailed next week.

I love how there is some RANDOM KID In the background.... and the hubs wasn't with us on this little outing so he isn't in the picture with us.

A bit of a Rant...

Whew, thank goodness Thanksgiving is over!! And that Black FRIDAY has come and gone!! Seriously I don't know why some people just absolutely LOVE that day!! I did the shopping years ago, and then I haven't gone the last several years.

Well this year I decided to go, since A) I had money this year, and B) there were some things I found on ad that I really WANTED, not really NEEDED ... so I wonder how many other people really NEED these things, and how many of them just WANT them. Well I have come to the conclusion that just about everybody doesn't NEED a BIG FLAT SCREEN TV!! And everybody probably doesn't need all those STAR WARS TOYS, or the Barbies... and on and on.....

I realize that this is all because of WANT. So now what I don't understand is if this is just stuff people want and don't need, how come they still ENJOY this crazy madhouse day of shopping? I can see the benefit on both sides... the consumer wants to save money on items, and unfortunately has to do it on THIS exact day just to save that much money. But on the other hand some people enjoy waiting in lines freezing off their keisters (is that even how you spell it?_ ... just to get that one or two items that they went in for!! Insanity I tell you.

Although I am glad that I didn't have my kids with me, but I would really have enjoyed a friend to come along with me... I'll have to see what I can work out for next year. ** wait a minute did I just insinuate that I'll do this again next year?? ** uh oh... better get MAYCO!!!

I just can't understand how these people can act like complete hoodlums... pushing and shoving just to grab a $3.00 pair of PJ's at Walmart... what the heck??? It's like everyone forgets their manners, and have been completely hypnotized just by walking inside the walls of these stores. And the Walmart I visited (and no I didn't attempt to look for the PJ's although they were on my list!!) back by electronics it was a parking lot!! I swear there has to be some kind of violation of the fire code to have that many people with NO WHERE to go!! And according to the news I listened to.. the crowds were bigger this year then last... and stores only have "so much" of any given ad item for grabs... seriously they should stock pile those things, and clear the store of everything else except those for Black Friday. I'm just saying.

It'd be lots easier to stock the store full of those things that EVERYBODY wants to have. I heard of a two "Grandma" aged women pushing their carts that were stock piled with the PJ's that I just wanted to get five of to fit my kids... but NO... they had to go and take like EVERYTHING.. for all their grand kids, and their friends... like it would be some big SLUMBER Party PJ giveaway or something.

And the amount of ladies that I saw who actually woke up that early and put the makeup on just shocked me... I woke up after actually sleeping in the clothes I wanted to wear (because lets face it one less step to do to leave) and pulled my hair back into a pony tail and who cares what my face looked like or didn't.

I was just slightly annoyed, because I didn't get everything I wrote down on my list... :( but the few things I did manage to grab, almost makes me feel like the crazy ridiculous hours were almost worth it. But there again "ALMOST" only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, or so I've been told. But I was happy when I got home, and even happier after I got to sleep away the afternoon in a QUIET house. That was a great nap!!! Thanks honey!!

A bit of a rant ... but oh well. It made me slightly more insane that day. Whew glad it's over!!

So what I want to know ... why do people LOVE this CHAOS and CRAZINESS?? Am I missing something??

Tis sweet Love....

I just have to say how much I love my husband tonight!!

So let me back up... the other night he totally ate the last of my Chocolate stash. Bad, bad thing to do. Period.

But....

Tonight, (yes I had to wait until tonight to buy my holiday food because we got paid today) but we were all together at the grocery store to buy the food that we need for tomorrow, and out of the blue he asks if I want to buy a ham in addition to the turkey we already have. This may sound weird to you, because you might already do a ham for Thanksgiving, but since we've been married it's always been just a turkey. But my dear sweet husband remembered me telling him that what I really missed about having Thanksgiving with my family is having Ham and turkey both!!

So guess what, we are now going to have ham AND turkey for dinner tomorrow!! Life is good. I'm glad he pays attention to some things that I say, and really tries to come through and make me happy. I'm so blessed to have him in my life!!!

I guess this somewhat redeems him from eating all the chocolate, especially since now, I've stocked up on brownie mix since I saw them for 88 cents a box. So I have plenty of "chocolate" for a while, and a love that will last forever!!!! (no not a love of Chocolate, but the love I have form my dear sweet hubby)

Gosh, what did you think I was tlaking about. My goodness.