If I Had A Million Dollars…

I probably never will, but if I did, one of the things I’d like to do is a little kitchen remodeling. Now, my kitchen is new and fine, but it’s a typical builder design. Last week I interviewed the owner of a local kitchen & bath supply store for a feature article for the newspaper and he had some really nice sample kitchens (I guess that’s what you’d call them) in his showroom. The first think I would do is get rid of the double sinks. I would so much prefer to have one large kitchen sink like we had in our old house. The double sinks are a little too small half the time. But I will have to make due with them for now. I doubt I’ll be winning the lottery anytime soon!

Playing Store

We have the old cash register from the store set up in our basement so that the boys can play around with it. It is so funny to watch what they “buy” when they play store. Instead of using barcode scanners, though, they seem to prefer to key the prices in manually. Yeah, I think that would be more fun too! (When we had the store we actually rarely used the scanner feature — inputting all the UPCs was a lot of work! Anyway, that has kept them busy for a while. Between that, making Shrinky-Dinks, and playing with their Christmas gifts I’d say the boys have had an OK New Year’s Eve so far, even if there are no parties in store for them I think we’ll probably just get pizza for dinner and stay safe and cozy at home!

Visions of Sugar Plums

I don’t know about you guys, but we were all totally exhausted last night! The excitement of the day just wore us out. I fell asleep on the couch and I could not have been more comfortable, even if I was on a sleep number bed! Drew did poke me around 10 so that I’d head upstairs to bed. The boys also fell asleep immediately and we even put them to bed a half an hour early (though they did go to bed later than usual on Christmas Eve). We still have a couple exciting days finishing up visits with family, but Sunday life should resume as usual and hopefully we’ll all be sleeping better

Hope You Had A Wonderful Christmas!

Was Santa good to you? We sure had a great Christmas here. I had to laugh a little because for the first time in like four years, there were no MP3 players under the tree! I did, however, get Drew a bunch of accessories for the iPod Nano he bought in November. I gave him a nice cover for it, film to protect the screen, and a wall charger. He was thrilled, especially with the charger because apparently charging it through the computer is a real pain. Now he’ll be all set anytime he goes on a business trip!

The boys also had a wonderful time and were just thrilled with everything. It’s so exciting to see their little faces light up! If only it could last just a little longer, don’t you think?

Nursing Degree

I’ve never been interested in the medical field, but several of my friends (wow, a lot of them now that I think about it) either went to college for health-related studies for undergrad or got a MS nursing. St. Xavier’s College sounds like it has a good master’s degree program for nursing. They have online studies which is great, especially for moms who might be thinking of going back to work once the kids are in school full-time. Then, you attend classes on-campus for weekend of intense study. Naturally, you need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in order to be accepted into the program (how else, really, would you qualify for a Master’s). Their web site has a lot of really great information for anyone who might be interested in learning more about the school, or applying to the program.

Awesome CVS Freebies 12/21-12/27

Wow! This coming week CVS has so many items that are free after Extra Care Bucks on their special two day sale, and on most you can buy multiple items!

2 DAY FREE AFTER ECB (Sunday & Monday ONLY ) after Monday no ECB’s

• Listerine antiseptic 16.9oz $2.99 get $2.99 limit 5
• Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine nail Color $5.99 get $5.99 limit 2
• Arm & Hammer Essentials starter kit $2.99 get $2.99 limit 5
• L’Oreal HIP Metalic eye shadow duos $6.99 get $6.99 limit 2
• ThermaCare neck to arm heatwrap 1ct $2.99 get $2.99 limit 3
• Right Guard Professional solid 1.8oz or aerosol 6oz $6.00 get $6.00 limit 5
• Zipfizz energy 3ct $5.99 get $5.99 limit 1
• Excedrin Express Gels 20ct $3.99 get $3.99 limit 1
• Alteril sleep aid 30ct $9.99 get $9.99 limit 1
• Halls Naturals 25ct $2.59 get $2.59 limit 1
• EAS AdvantEdge bar 2.11oz $1.69 get $1.69 limit 1
• Zantac 150 8ct $4.99 get $4.99 limit 1
• EAS AdvantEdge shake 4pk $7.49 get $7.49 limit 1
• Benefiber drink mix 16ct $7.29 get $7.29 limit 1
• Iceland Health joint relief 60ct $29.99 get $29.99 limit 1
• Slimquick 2pk 4oz total $4.99 get $4.99 limit 1 (I know these sound like diet pills, but I think they are actually energy drinks, or energy “shots” - something like that)
• Sleepinal 32ct $8.49 get $8.49 limit 5

There are some things I will be picking up for sure. I only wish there were a couple items that would be good for stocking stuffers, but… that’s OK. Still some good deals!

Snowman Sundaes

What do you on a cold, blustery snow day in New York? Why, you make snowman sundaes of course! (I guess unless you’re taking something like Fenphedra - the sundaes would kind of defeat the purpose of the pill, don’t you think?) The idea was actually inspired by a sundae currently offered by Friendly’s. I was charmed by the adorable, delicious-looking snowman on the table tent. However, when I saw someone order one, well… the product was nowhere near as charming. So I thought I could do a better job at home and it would be a fun craft for the boys, as well. I think they did a great job! Check out their creations:

The Crazies Are Out!

Oh my goodness, is it ever nuts out there in retail-land. Last night I ran into Target for something and the place was like a war zone! I am not even kidding — people had crazed looks on their faces and they were just throwing stuff into their carts (I assume they were going to be Christmas gifts), tearing into displays, and not bothering to be mindful of other shoppers. I had wanted to buy mouthwash, but… I really didn’t need it that bad.

Today I went grocery shopping at Walmart, and I figured they would be mobbed too. And of course, I was right. Not only is it a week until Christmas, but this area is also expecting some significant snowfall tomorrow — possibly as much as 14 inches. You can only imagine the frenzy that puts people into as well. It’s like they won’t survive for one day if they don’t have three gallons of milk or a week’s worth of cat supplies. Somehow I managed to keep a smile on my face (most of the time) and only forgot a few inconsequential items (including the mouthwash, LOL). We’ll see how this storm plays out, but it is looking like it just might be a white Christmas this year!

Extra Pampers Points

It has been a long time since I thought about Pampers Points. Towards the end of Noah’s diaper days we used Luvs, but for newborn diapers I do prefer Pampers, and with the new baby on the way, I should be able to rack up some more . (I currently have about 80 sitting in my account.) If you want a quick boost for your own account, head over to Freebies 4 Mom, where there are a few codes listed. Plus, there is free shipping through the end of December. I remember that the one time (years ago!) when I was going to order a toy, I didn’t bother because the shipping cost more than the toy was worth, so this is something you should take advantage of if you’ve been eyeing something!

Cool Boy’s Gift!

I am so excited about the gift Drew’s dad is giving Jake for Christmas — a Lego Brickmaster’s membership! He gets six Lego sets throughout the year, plus six issues of Brickmaster magazine. I’m not sure if they send a membership card for the child, but either way it is sure to be a hit. Both of our boys love playing with Legos and I love seeing what they come up with. It’s so neat hearing their stories and seeing adventures being played out. I know it is something Jake really will enjoy! For Noah, we suggested he get him some Wall-E toys, since the boy absolutely loves that movie! I’m getting really excited for Christmas. Hard to believe it is less than two weeks away!