Mommy Who?

Adventures in Substitute Teaching.

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am loving substitute teaching lately. More on that in a moment.

I quit my work at home job recently because I was working more hours than I care to admit. Even though I was at home, I could never leave work at work. We decided it was best for me to quit full time work and focus on being home with the kids again. I took to subbing because, well, let's face it, the schedule is perfect.

What I really love about it is the variety. Every day I work it's a different subject and a different age. I've taught high school band (my favorite,) middle school and high school English (my second favorite,) math, 1st grade, ASD, Media Center.

People have asked if I'm going to become a teacher after this. Frankly, I don't think I would. I am enjoying the variety subbing offers to begin with. Secondly, I don't want to have to teach to the state standards. Our state is not known for it's stellar performance and I don't care to "teach to the test." That being said, if I could teach in a private arena, I would entertain that idea. I like the teaching to learn. Which makes another reason I enjoy subbing. I'm there because I want to be, not because I have to be. If I need a day off to run errands, then I don't pick up a job that day.

The great news about all of this is that we are all happier. My husband comes home to a (mostly) clean house, and dinner prep done. The kids get to do things with their friends, go to the library, and we spend extra time with them reading, doing math and creating art and science projects. The learning from their school continues when we come home and I get to get back in touch with my homeschool side. I still love the school they are in, but I love to be a part of what they are learning as well. Truly, I think right now we've found the best of both worlds.

Wonderful World of Color

2010-03-20T00:18:00.002-04:00

Happy Spring!!

Fashionista

2010-03-18T00:05:00.000-04:00

At least she gets dressed by herself!

The Great Outdoors

2010-03-17T10:34:00.001-04:00

The Color Purple

2010-03-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things this year are the increased amounts of simple flower beds that really add some dramatic color.

Alone at Disney

2010-03-14T23:30:00.000-04:00

Last week I got to spend the day wandering around Epcot at my pace. March 3rd marked the beginning of the Flower and Garden Festival (more on that later) so I decided to wander around the park and have the opportunity to take pictures without being pulled to one attraction or another. I truly enjoyed being alone in the park, something I haven't done since I was a cast member over 14 years ago.

While there I got to add to my 100 experiences for the year.

"Disperience" #2

Walking through Showcase Plaza, there's an expansive area that goes relatively unnoticed. From here you have an impressive view of World Showcase along with a view of Spaceship Earth that many do not see or experience. This would be a great spot to let kids run off some steam, and take an opportunity to view the World Showcase Lagoon through some conveniently placed telescopes.

Simple, yet enjoyable.

100 Days of Disney

2010-02-28T23:58:00.001-05:00

This year we got annual passes again and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. Of course, this was more expensive because Gloria is now above that age limit. We also decided to get the full annuals, instead of the seasonal passes. This way there is no black out dates and we can go whenever we want. I think this will work out nicely on days the kids are off from school, or even this summer. The last time we had passes, we used it as a learning opportunity as much as possible.

I also thought that perhaps I might challenge myself this year to find 100 new things to experience at Disney. Notice I didn't say to do. I don't think I could find a 100 new rides to do, since I've hit most of them. But I am sure that I can find 100 new experiences.

In fact, the day after we bought our tickets, I met a friend of mine at the Contemporary Hotel. She was staying there for a few nights, and we were able to get together for a drink after the kids were in bed. We decided to go up to California Grill. The California Grill is located at the very top of the Contemporary with a panoramic view of the Magic Kingdom. We were able to snag a couple of seats next to the window.

I have never been up there before and the view was incredible. Plus, we were lucky enough to be up there during the fireworks. They dim the lights, and pump in the music for Disney's Wishes fireworks. Having just seen them the night before, this was a new perspective. to be honest, I'm not sure I'm sold on watching the fireworks from atop the Contemporary. It was unique, special and an experience not to be forgotten. However, so is seeing them on the ground. Inside the Magic Kingdom you can see them go off behind the castle. When you're at the Grill, the fireworks appear to the right of the park. Also on the ground you get a close up view of seeing Tinkerbell fly through the air. This to me is very magical as Tink represents the start of every Disney film and brings with her all the pixie dust happiness and fond memories of childhood.

Regardless, this was still a fantastic way to spend an evening. I think it might be more incredible to spend lunch when the view would be more outreaching. That will have to wait another day.

Mmmmm Cake

2010-02-24T19:41:00.002-05:00

Coldest Birthday Ever!

2010-02-22T13:18:00.001-05:00

Ok, coldest birthday I've ever had in Florida anyway. We've had a tradition of going to the Magic Kingdom on my birthday for the last few years and this year wasn't any different. We braved the freezing rain and 30 degree temperatures to get there when the park opened. A good friend of mine was letting us in, otherwise I think we would have waited. We knew that the rain would let up soon and that we could find things to do indoors until it did.

We made breakfast reservations at Liberty Tree Tavern. They normally don't do breakfast, but were open in place of the Crystal Palace being down for renovations. This breakfast was a huge hit for all of us. Because of the cold temps, not a lot of people were crazy enough to be at the parks. Which of course made it perfect for us. We had characters to ourselves, and they visited our table 2 or 3 times each. The food was delicious. They made this amazing peach french toast dish, although it was more like a souffle I think. Incredible. I made sure to compliment our waitress, and the manager. It's too bad they don't have breakfast here more often.

Throughout the day we walked on to every ride, waiting no more than 10 minutes. We had a wonderful time as always. During this trip, we decided that we'll be getting annual passes for our family again this year. We knew that this would be our entertainment for the year. But we know that we always have such a grand time that it will be well worth it. I can't wait to get our passes and make the most of them. I'm also going to be challenging myself to find something new to do at the parks each time we visit. I'm calling it my 100 days, 100 new things challenge. Stay tuned for more updates on that!

Homeschool versus School

2010-02-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

This year had a lot of changes for us, one of which brought the kids to school. As you may remember I was very excited to homeschool my kids last year. I must say I still have mixed feelings about the decision. Don't get me wrong, overall I'm very happy with the school we've chosen for our kids. In our eyes, it was the only other viable option. But I still miss the day to day with them. I still miss our Five in a Row series and doing lapbooks and reading every day. Now that I'm working full time, I don't have that opportunity with them anymore.

However, we made the choice to put them into Montessori school. Montessori at home was one of the methods we were using to home school. I've known the teachers at this school for longer than the kids have been alive. I trust them and I can see a lot of improvements in their overall education. And this is where my heart soars. To an extent, homeschooling can be a burden, especially if you're working at all. The other great thing is Gloria's made a lot of friends. She's a very social person, whereas Noah would just go with the flow. She didn't really have the friendships she does now. It's so nice to belong to a community of like minded parents and respectful children.

Happy 6th Birthday Noah

2010-02-18T20:19:00.001-05:00

I'm so proud to have you as my son!

Key Largo... baby why don't we go

2010-02-17T10:50:00.001-05:00

One of our new favorite places is Key Largo, in the Florida keys. We had the chance to visit last September. I've been looking at a few of the pictures from then and wanted to share them with you. We had a fantastic time, lounging around with no real plans to see or do anything. For me that was a change. I'm such a planner that even when it comes to vacations, I usually have a few ideas of things we want to see and do. I took a couple of guide books with me and consulted as necessary. I love how sun-kissed the kids look in these pictures.

Conversations

2010-02-02T08:22:00.001-05:00

This is the conversation I hear from the other room.

Noah: I love Gloria, and I love Demi (we'll talk about who she is in a moment) and I think they are so cute. Ok, you're turn.

Gloria: I love Noah and Demi and when I know I love them so much and when I know it I love love love to like and I just don't know how to do it.

Noah: Very nice (clapping his hands)

Gloria: I love to get butterflies on my fingers

Noah: And Gloria and Demi are so nice and talk to Noah. Playtime! Yeaaa!!

It sounds as if they were giving reasons why they love each other and taking turns doing so. Which is very sweet. They truly are best friends and when they get along it's the best sound in the world.

Now, about Demi. Demi is Gloria's imaginary friend that she's had for about 2 years, as long as she can talk. Noah has adopted Demi as well, but Gloria is the one that makes up all the stories about her. I believe that Demi is her spirit guide and Gloria is just in tune to that. At any given time you can ask her what Demi is doing and she'll have a story ready. Or if not, Demi is at home or at school and not nearby. I think her imagination soars when Demi is around.

What Facebook has done to me

2010-01-31T19:23:00.003-05:00

I come, I post, I stay away for a long while. I come back, apologize and it happens all over again!

No excuses, I think I have decided to come back for a while and try this again. I've reconnected with so many friends and family through Facebook, that I don't always feel the need to post here. However, this is supposed to be a journal not just for me, but for my kids and family.

A lot has changed in the last year. I am back to working full time, however I am still working from home, which is fantastic. Because I am working full time, I didn't feel I could do that and homeschool the kids. I really miss being a part of their education, but at the same time it's a bit of a relief not having to plan their day. I am still in love with the Five in a Row and I think we'll go back to that over summer vacation. I was just looking through some of Noah's lapbooks we did and I can't wait to compare the differences between this year and last.

The kids are in a Montessori school, which they absolutely love. They focus more on independent learning as well as life skills & manners. We've known the owners of the school for years and are extremely happy with the kids progress. Both Noah and Gloria attend.

Looking ahead we're planning on getting annual passes again to Disney this year. Wally and I have figured this will take place of all other entertainment. I think I will save more on that for a later post! If you're still reading, thanks for hanging in there!

Bubble blowers...

2009-05-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

work best with pucker power.

Muppet Puppet

2009-05-27T21:57:00.002-04:00

A while back we were able to enjoy a trip to the Orlando History Museum for the Jim Henson Exhibit. The exhibit was very imformative and interesting, unfortunatly just not as entertaining for a 5 and 3 year old. We did have fun in the kids area however. I never expected to see Noah jump right in to enjoy a puppet theatre. He's grown so much emotionally over the last year. He is not as apprehensive as before, and really surprised me by how he dove right in and had a blast. Normally Gloria is the performer but was more interested in being in the audience. I love how they keep surprising me.

We were unable to take pictures so I do not have any from the Henson Exhibit itself.

I linked the Exhibit above. If you have older fans of Jim Henson's Legacy and genious, I highly recommend it!

Easy days

2009-05-26T12:51:00.001-04:00

Alphabet games

2009-05-22T12:18:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite segments on Sesame Street is the Amazing Alphabet Race. I've mentioned before how I like their references to pop culture.

I took it a step further a few weeks back and created these Alphabet cards for the kids. (Easy really with Excel)

I had them go through the house finding something that started with each letter and then cross it off on their card. We had a blast and they learned more about letter sounds and how words start. It was really fun to see what they came up with for each letter.

The following video has nothing to do with what we did, but since I couldn't find The Amazing Alphabet Race on You Tube, I thought I'd share this classic.

Portrait of a 5 year olds birthday

2009-05-21T12:12:00.001-04:00

A few snapshots from Noah's 5th Birthday. Spent at Disney, then a weekend visit from my aunt and uncle to help celebrate with presents, cake and ice cream!!

Portrait of a 3 year olds birthday

2009-05-20T11:58:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures from Gloria's 3rd birthday. (6 months ago!)

Ch ch changes

2009-05-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

Life certainly has been crazy the last few months. The biggest change around here is that I've taken on a full time job. It was cedrtainly not my intention as I enjoy being home and educating my kids, but with the economy etc (I am not dwelling on the negative) we decided it was a good idea that if someone offers you a job, you take it. I still work from home and I still get to spend a ton of time with the kids during the day.

We've taken a bit of a break from our "official" schooling, but still take opportunities here and there. I still will include Five in a Row and visits to museums and parks and various other outings to take the opportunity to show my kids that it's a big world and many different types of experiences, people, culture, food and many mroe things occupy it.

The biggest part of this decision is moving the kids into school in the fall. Since they still need someone to take a more formal approach, we decided rather than trying to do it all... for the next few formative years, we will let the fine teachers at our local Montessori school teach them the basics. I'm very excited about this decision because if I am going to put them in any type of school, Montessori is the one we are happy with. We have known the Montessori teachers long before my children were born, so we're very excited that they will be the ones to step in my place.

Because I work late afternoons into the evening, I can still take the kids for outtings during the day. And when they start school, I can still go to their school a few times a month and participate.

Let's see what this new chapter brings!

O is for Oatmeal

2009-05-18T11:15:00.001-04:00

In our house, we have an important decision to make when it comes to oatmeal; Runny or Thick. See I like my oatmeal thick, as does Gloria. Wally however likes his runny and Noah just opts out all together. First let me say that I make all of our oatmeal, and since I've been doing this, I don't care for the prepackaged kind. I've been experimenting with some different recipes to come up with our favorite. But when the decision is split, I'm not able to please everyone. The terrific thing about these recipes is that they make a lot, are really inexpensive, and last for at least 3-4 meals.

Check out this one from Money Saving Mom. This is one of our fav's but I cut down the oil and use half oil, half applesauce and then I reduce the sugar by 1/2 a cup and it still tastes great. We've also tried this one which is an overnight crockpot oatmeal. Hubby liked this one, but it was too runny for my taste.

Either way, you can add fruit or brown sugar or cinnamon to make it your own. All of it is much better than the little packets filled with artificial flavors.

Laughing Hippos

2009-03-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

We were very lucky to visit Homosassa Springs State Park recently and had a marvelous time with my aunt and uncle and the kids. We saw the manatees, bears, bobcats, the pinkest flamingos I've ever seen and a laughing hippo. Lu is a staple at this park for over 45 years and his "grunts" sound like he's laughing. It's the strangest thing we had ever heard!

Shopaholics

2009-03-05T22:44:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, I was able to score this cute little play store at Target for about $15. Normally these go for $45. After Christmas, I saved all of the kids' gift cards and used them when I found a deal, rather than spending them all at once. This makes their gift cards last longer time wise and get more bang for their buck money wise. It's easy to control their spending now when they are little. I hope we can continue this as they get older.

Follow Me

2009-03-02T13:59:00.000-05:00

Our favorite author so far out of Five in a Row has to be Virginia Lee Burton. Noah and Gloria have enjoyed her books so much that we've even read the ones that are not a part of FIAR but still did lesson plans on them.

This lesson we did Katy and the Big Snow. We learned about street signs, which Noah still points out and asks about. Plus we started counting by 5's. Learned more on directions and measurements. We could have covered personification but we've done that now a few times with her other books.

This has also been the biggest lapbook we've created to date. Noah did a fantastic job with this one.

We also measured what the different heights of snow might look like. Of course, being Floridians, this much snow was an abstract concept!

All in all, we couldn't get enough of this book and the lessons that went along with it. 3 weeks later we're still talking about it. If you're not reading Virginia Lee Burton to your kids, start now!

Castle Glory

2009-03-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

I went to the Magic Kingdom for my birthday and got some amazing shots of the castle.

The sleep habits of a 3 year old

2009-02-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

I've been working late recently, so Wally has been putting the kids to bed. After work, I check on them to make sure they're covered up and all the limbs are placed back in bed. Two nights in a row this is how I found Gloria.

One fully settled into her hat and the second in a sleeping bag, with head wrap and all.

N is for Noah

2009-02-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

My first child turned 5 a week ago. He's so active, athletic, energetic and never stops moving (which makes him exhausting!) He's sweet and caring, a terrific big brother (most of the time) and a great helper around the house. We're so lucky to have him in our lives. Here's his first 5 birthdays.

First birthday, before the cake!

Birthday #2

#3 spent at the Zoo

the 4th spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

What a smartie pants, #5 spent at the Animal Kingdom.

Pay it forward

2009-01-04T19:07:00.004-05:00

Today I am thankful for a very generous neighbor. She has been cleaning out her fun room and gave us 2 bean bags, a fax machine, a karaoke machine, 2 small tv's and a box full of rubber stamps. I was in need of a fax machine, and I always thought the kids would really enjoy a bean bag. She planned on donating all of these things and knew I had 2 small kids who might enjoy some of the things she had to offer. She gave all of this to us free of charge, just to get it out of her house. I am very grateful and thankful for her generosity.

Lately, I've been on the receiving end of someone paying it forward and donating things to us they no longer need. I even have clothes coming from out of state for both kids. Speaking of clothes, I almost never buy anything for the kids because my mom buys and sends us more than we could ever need. One of my goals this month will be going through all the things we don't need in the garage and pay it forward to someone who could use it. So far I've donated a tricycle to a neighbor. I have lots more baby items that I can get rid of as well. How have you paid it forward?

It's a New Dawn, it's a New Day

2009-01-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Here's my Resolutions:

Be Grateful
Thank my children for being here with me
Blog or journal daily affirmations
Create my vision board
Be in the Now
Read
Walk
Create moments of Stillness throughout the day
Be in the Now - yes, i needed to say that again

There are many many reasons behind my resolutions, mostly involving being my best self and bringing joy to others.

The giving of thanks

2008-12-19T13:49:00.002-05:00

Being thankful takes effort. But it is an effort that I started working on when I discovered The Secret and have since been looking at more ways to enrich my life. For a while now, I haven't been thankful. I haven't "stopped to smell the roses" so to speak. So, here, right now, I'm making that committment to be thankful again. To see the world around me. To appreciate the laughter in my children. To stop and enjoy the time I have with them because it is so fleeting. When I live this way, and am thankful, my life is enriched and better all around.

Sometimes it is the little things. For example, today, while walking with my two children to the discount grocery store 1/4 mile from my house, I had a conversation with my mother. We talked about the fact there used to be a nice large thrift store there on the corner that I used to visit frequently. While that store moved on, a smaller childrens thrift store moved in. Nice, but not as large. We also discussed the fact that I was going to take one of the gift cards so generously gifted to my children and buy Gloria a helmet for her upcoming Christmas bike. As I finished my conversation with my mom, I turned the corner to find the small childrens thrift store had expanded and now included many home items and housewares. I decided to browse with the children before we headed to get groceries. As we were looking around, Gloria spotted a shiny pink bicycle helmet. I picked it up to take a look at the condition and it appeared to be brand new. Clean inside and out, pink with Disney Princess'. Exactly what I had envisioned buying for her. The clerk then mentioned to me that everything was half off today and the helmet would only be 50 cents. How could I pass that up? It was as if the entire conversation with my mom manifested into reality. Thus saving me $15-20 that Gloria can use on another gift in the upcoming months.

Sometime our positive thoughts manifest in larger ways. While not on the path to positive thinking, my car broke down and has been in the shop now for over a month. While I won't go into the details here, we expected our expense to repair would be close to $2000. Since I have been returning to a life of gratitude and deliberate intent, I have been visualizing that cost to be a lot less. Today we hear the car has been fixed and the final cost is closer to $1100. While it still takes a chunk of our holiday and vacation planning, it doesn't leave us as strapped as we had expected.

For the small and the not so small reasons, today I am thankful.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... at Disney

2008-12-17T09:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a little bit more from the Yacht Club at Disney. Can you spot the hidden Mickey's?

Wally liked the little man in front of the house. He was moving in circles plowing his driveway.

Smells of Christmas

2008-12-16T17:18:00.001-05:00

Saturday marked our annual pilgrimage to some of the Disney Resorts to view their Christmas decorations. Here's a peak of my favorite at the Beach Club, the chocolate gingerbread carosel.

Santa traditions

2008-12-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

So for the last 3 years we've been going to the same Santa for photos. I guess this has become one of our holiday traditions. We found the setting for Santa at Downtown Disney to look like a traditional holiday theme as opposed to the mall Santa we had for Noah's first year. Plus, we can take as many pics as we want with our own camera and do not feel pressured to buy their packages. Here's years past along with this year.

The Secret is out

2008-12-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

The first part of our ornament swap is complete and the ornaments have been rolling in. So now it's time to showcase what we did. Gloria and I made Cinnamon Ornaments. It was so easy and fun. This appealed to the baker in me, as I don't find myself to be very crafty. There are all kinds of recipes out there online, I'm not sure I could tell you which one I used anymore. I just know they smell terrific.

The cutting

The Drying

The finished project.

Holiday Music

2008-12-04T08:52:00.000-05:00

Nothing gets me more in the mood for the holidays than the music. It is usually on in my house weeks before Thanksgiving and the only thing playing in my car. As for my faves, it runs the gamut. Everything from the very traditional (Sinatra, Bing) Oldies (Brenda Lee, Chuck Berry) Modern (Mariah Carey?? so not me, except at Christmas) and Eclectic (Mele Kalikimaka, Christmas in Kilarney)

I went looking on You Tube to link up some of my favorite songs and I found this, that just had me puzzling. It's a somewhat Christmas-y tour of Epcot, set to Bing's Mele Kalikimaka. And since my love of Disney goes hand in hand with Christmas I had to share. It's certainly completely random!

So, how about you? What are some of your Christmas music musts this time of year?

Blog Changes

2008-12-02T02:41:00.001-05:00

I just uploaded some changes to my blog and I am so impressed with this look (I hope you love it too) that I had to give a shout out to the creater at SkinCorner. Did you see how cute the date looks over there? Very clever. Just another extra bonus to add to my holiday cheer!

Swap Preview

2008-12-02T00:45:00.000-05:00

Gloria and I worked on our ornaments for our ornament swap this weekend. Dont' want to give it away to anyone who may be on my swap list, but the preview looks like this...

Intrigued? So am I. I hope these turn out the way I'm envisioning... as I'm not the most crafty person. But Gloria and I had fun. Stay tuned for the final project!

Last days of Summer

2008-11-29T01:23:00.001-05:00

I was going through some of the pictures I hadn't posted and came across these. I took these in mid October. Cruel, I know, to all of you in the colder climates. This was probably the last time we used our swimsuits. I took the kids to Downtown Disney for the day to wander and play in the fountains.

Worder and amazement

2008-11-28T01:15:00.000-05:00

That look was on her face the whole time we sang to her. The wonder and amazement of a 3 year old!

Books? What books?

2008-11-26T00:47:00.000-05:00

Who says reading has to come from a book? We had a lot of success getting Noah to read by playing with words and sidewalk chalk. Today I put a B and a G and let Noah decide which vowel went in the middle. He also practiced his writing skills (something else we've been working on lately.) We filled in every vowel and he read every word.

Swaps in Motion

2008-11-24T17:29:00.000-05:00

So, the swapping has begun!

I just wanted to put up a quick post to those of you visiting from my swap partners and say HI!! Cami's Ornament swap has 8 of us from across the country swapping ornaments for our little ones. I'm really excited to see how creative we can get. I already have some ideas from the current book Noah and I are reading. I'll post after all the packages have been sent out and received.
Ornaments are very special to us as I collect them from our travels. Our tree represents our souvenirs and brings back many fond memories each year. This year we'll have additions from Texas, Utah, California, Washington, South Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri. Can't wait!

Princess for a day

2008-11-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

For Gloria's 3rd Birthday, we took her for a character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare located in the Grand Floridian. We even dressed her up in a princess dress we received as a costume, never worn. We had such a nice time, though she was a little timid around the costumed characters, she warmed up after meeting Mary Poppins and Alice.

My little peanut is getting so smart, independent and opinionated. She is such a joy to be around. I enjoy spending time with her and helping her discover new things. I can't wait to see what the years ahead bring.

Happy Birthday Gloria.

Pop goes the corn!

2008-11-22T01:44:00.001-05:00

One of our October lessons was pulled from Popcorn at the Palace. What a fun book to read and I learned quite a bit about popcorn myself.

We found some great resources at Popcorn.org where I came up with some lessons about volume to show the difference in how many kernels take up a space when compared to the popped corn.

We also took the opportunity to make some homemade popcorn over the stove. I have to say, it was 10 times better than what we cook in the microwave. Every kernel pops, so there's no chance of anyone chomping on a hard piece. Plus, it was so much fun to hear the popcorn ting and tang against the pan as it was getting ready to burst. This is definitely our preferred method. Another great "go-along" book was The Popcorn Book which gave us some history background with fun, though 70's style cartoons.

Popcorn recipe:

Put 2 heaping tablespoon fulls of Crisco in a pan.

Place on stove and turn heat between Medium and Medium High.

Once crisco has melted, pour a single layer of kernels into pan.

Feel free to watch the kernals "dance" in the Crisco for a minute before covering.

Cover and wait for the popcorn music.

Sing the popcorn song while waiting.*

Once all the kernels have popped, remove from stove and enjoy! Sprinkle with salt if desired.

*The Popcorn Song:

Ya put some oil in a pot and you let it get hot,

Ya put the popcorn in and ya start to grin.

Sizzle~Sizzle~Sizzle~Sizzle (get low to the ground)

POP!!

Another time in another time

2008-11-21T14:47:00.001-05:00

Here is same queen we saw at last weeks Ren Faire. She really is beautiful and gracious and remembered holding Gloria the last time we went to this Faire, 2 years ago. Gloria was almost 1.

Once upon a time

2008-11-21T13:57:00.007-05:00

We went to a Renaissance Faire and met the Queen of England.

While there, we checked our navigational route.

Cheered for the Joust.

And found our individual styles.

The holidays are coming, the holidays are coming!!

2008-11-12T08:46:00.005-05:00

And with that, I've signed up for 2 swaps! One is the Holiday Traditions Exchange (already closed, sorry) hosted by Meg.

I participated in this exchange last year and had a great time learning about my Australian swap partner. She sent me some truly wonderful gifts. This year I've already been partnered up with my Canadian partner Martha. What a great way to learn about traditions that span the globe.

The next swap I signed up for is still open. It's a Kids Ornament Swap hosted by Full Circle and her Sister The Crafty Crow. Sign up closes by the 16th, so get in now! I can't wait to make some ornaments this year with the kids and receive a few more handmade ornaments to adorn our tree. So how about it? Want to join me there? Got any ideas for some great kids ornaments to make that aren't too costly?

Alternative Reading

2008-11-12T01:03:00.000-05:00

The other day we outside and I decided to play a game with the kids. With Noah, he doesn't always like to sit down and sound out words. So I drew big words on the sidewalk and made a game of it. Run to the word Run. Hop to the word Hop, and so on. It was a really great way to reinforce his newly developing skills and he got in on the writing of words as well.

Farewell to Disney

2008-11-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

Temporarily at least. We have decided not to fork over the insane amount of money to renew our passes at this time until we get caught up on a few other things at home. Although I did tell Wally I wanted nothing for Christmas other than annual passes. We got so much joy out of them this year. I remembered all the little wonderful, magical things that I love about going to Disney World. I never had a bad time there this year. And, as a family, we all got along really well, had opportunities for great conversations that don't take place at home.

An early weekend in September was our last weekend. Here's some highlights from our farewell to Disney.

Of course, this won't stop us from visiting the hotels, especially Animal Kingdom Lodge just to walk around and absorb the Disney ambiance.

~~Yes, I realize the lateness of this post... just trying to go thru some of my unpublished posts and get them updated! Time for new content!

Because that's what Soccer Moms do

2008-10-21T09:47:00.001-04:00

They post insane amount of pictures of their kid playing soccer. We're having such a blast watching Noah play soccer. He is learning to be part of a team, listen to his coach. I see him really connecting with both of his coaches. Every time they talk to him, he stands right at their legs until it's time to chase the ball. This age they all just go after the ball up and down the field. Noah is always one of the first kids on the field and doesn't give up unless he has to. Never asks to take a break and is so sad when he has to step out so his teammates get equal time. The games seem so short, at 40 minutes, but he does get a lot of field time and always walks away somewhat tired. We're down to our last 2 weeks and can't wait for the next season to start in the spring.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

2008-10-20T14:18:00.002-04:00

Big deep breath! Finally life is a bit back to normal around our house. The last 2 months, I've been working like crazy and with that means I couldn't update as much as I'd like. However, I've taken on some new responsibilities, and I see no problem in getting back into the swing of things. This time of year is always a crazy one.

Overall, on the school front things have been going along really well. We have taken a few breaks, but that's the beauty of homeschool. If he or I aren't ready or prepared, we move it to another day. I also intend to school year round, so that provides more opportunities to take weeks off during the school year.

We bid farewell to Disney for the time being. More on that soon. We decided not to renew our annuals in order to pay off the rest of our major bills. We'll reevaluate after the beginning of the year.

We are seriously considering a DVC membership and may spend our 10th anniversary doing something along those lines.

Soccer is a huge success. Loads of pictures coming soon.

We're planning a trip home in February. We can't make it for the holidays, so we're thinking of spending Noah's 5th birthday up there instead.

My wonderful friend sent me a new apron recently. She thinks I'm domestic or something! Here's me pretending to be a stay at home mom who loves to cook. Oh, wait I guess that is me!

That's it in a nutshell.

A boy and his construction

2008-10-20T14:17:00.002-04:00

It's built into boys, isn't it? They love all things truck, transportation and construction. I suppose then that it was fitting that Noah took right to Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.
We talked about Personification, how Mary Anne wasn't real, but appeared to be real in the story. Noah did a good job picking out other inanimate objects that this applied to. Namely, his Cars of course. Mater and Lightning McQueen certainly fit this bill, as does Herbie the Love Bug (his latest obsession.) So I asked Noah to pick out some of his toys and we'd "personify" them. He chose some bouncy balls as well as a few miniture books.
Here's the questions I asked him, which I got from Homeschool Share.
"What are the balls names?"
"Avona, Move, Dark Noon & Nallow"
"How do they move?"
"They bounce and roll, remember?"
"What do they eat"
"Meatballs, spaghetti, breakfast, crackers."
"Where do they sleep?"
"Next to the TV"
"What else do the bouncy balls like to do?"
"Hop, play around the house and drink milk and orange juice."

For the mini books, he said they like to balance on his head, sing songs, and lay on the beach like a crab. I love how his imagination is growing every day. What a goof!

M is for Muppet Memories

2008-09-19T11:09:00.002-04:00

Lately I've gotten Gloria interested in watching the Muppet Show. It's a great treat to be able to share these with her. Plus it's a nice walk down memory lane for me. I was about 4 or 5 when I started watching the Muppet Show. I can remember sitting at my Grandma's late on a Sunday afternoon, patiently waiting for the Lawrence Welk show to end so that I could watch the Muppet Show.

Being able to watch these shows now, of course is the adult humor that's subtly disguised. I also think the Muppet Show exposed me to entertainers I would not normally have experienced at that age, or this one for that matter. For a complete list of guest stars, Wikipedia has it listed as well as the songs. Some of my favorite guest stars include Bernadette Peters, Julie Andrews, Peter Sellers, Lynda Carter among many many more. It is really a pleasure to be able to share these treasures with my children. I have many many more of my childhood memories to share.

Teddy Love

2008-09-18T07:47:00.000-04:00

Gloria is a pack rat when it comes to carrying around stuffed animals. The more you give her, the more she'll carry. This is how I found her the other night after clutching 3 teddy bears to go to sleep.

I could barely see her tiny face

Here's the pic without the black and white focal. Which do you think is better?

Gloria's Flight

2008-09-17T07:39:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago we read Glorious Flight. Or as I had to explain, not Gloria but GlorioUS.

We had a really good day talking about the parts of airplanes as well as other forms of transportation. We also filled up our lapbook with ordinal numbers up to 11. Noah did really well counting up to 11, and making sure our pictures went in order. Our art for the week was learning how to draw objects and we chose a modern and old fashioned plane to draw. We were supposed to talk about point of view, but I ended up deciding that was a bit over our heads this time around. Instead I took some advice about copying and got out tracing paper and we traced the different airplanes in our books. I love hitting the juvenile non fiction section at our library. If you're not already checking it out for your little ones, don't pass it up just because they can't read. There are great pictures in some of these books and we learn about the real world around us.

Finally we wrapped up the week with a field trip to an airplane museum. We went to Sun and Fun Museum in Lakeland. Smallish museum, but a lot of fun for the kids. They display mostly home-built airplanes. They did have a replica of Papa Bleirot's plane so it was nice to be able to show Noah the differences. The kids really had a great time and still talk about the museum.

Livin and a Workin

2008-09-16T10:50:00.000-04:00

Whew, it's been a busy month. I'm still around, still checking in but I haven't had time, energy or motivation to post lately. When I'm on the computer on and off all day trying to get things done for work, the last thing I want to do is try to be witty and original to chronicle our days. I do have some posts started that I will get to soon. And I have our homeschool updates coming as well. I've been so busy I am currently downloading 200 pictures off of my camera and I almost never let it get that full.

The great thing is that I've been very busy with work with some new responsibilities and it's very exciting. However, that means, because I work from home, I try to fit it in during naps and bedtime for the kids. I also tend to work more this time of year than any other. Instead of my normal 20 hours, I'm working around 30-35 hours a week. So we kind of take it easy on life and school. Another great thing about homeschool, we can pause and rearrange our schedules as needed.

Coming up, homeschool posts on airplanes, small towns and steam shovels. More alphabet soup posts about me, and our farewell to Disney (for now anyway.)

Far away places with strange sounding names

2008-08-22T12:19:00.001-04:00

A post over at Phil's blog reminded me of a conversation that Wally and I have been having lately. The topic? Where to go for our 10th anniversary. It's coming up in a year and a half. That may seem like a lot of time to plan, but not in our lives. With so much going on, it's not a bad idea for us to start tossing ideas around now.

Here's yet another list (I am a list maker, it's genetic, can't help it) of places we're thinking. Of course it has to be kid friendly. Part of what makes an anniversary is our family. At our 10th, Noah would be 6 and Gloria 4 1/2.

Costa Rica and the cloud forests where life is pura vida.
London calling all kids
Sailing the rivers in France
Tokyo Disney (Konbanwa Yumi! we miss you and want to visit)
Southern Spain
Santorini, Greece
N Y C
Safari & Lake Victoria Falls (thinking kids might still be too young for this)

Now this list is in no particular order. Just the randomness of my mind. And maybe we're just dreaming. I thought perhaps you could vote on where you think we should go. Check out the poll stage right...

"I have found out there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."
-Tom Sawyer Abroad

How we're "Fay"ring

2008-08-21T23:59:00.001-04:00

Tropical Storm Fay has been on our "radar" for the last few days. Now you're probably thinking what's the big deal? It's a tropical storm, not a hurricane right? Well, in some respects, yes that is true. However, Fay has decided to become a Florida resident and the continued rains are damaging coast lines, flooding homes and still causing enough damage to be a pain in the a** rear. And have you seen the radar? As I speak Fay stretches from here to Jacksonville. That's about 180 miles wide give or take.

Here's my week in review with Fay and how she's affected our lives.

Monday - Weather reports have Fay going right through our back yard. Head out to get milk. She should blow out of here in about 2 days

Tuesday - Nothing. We don't go anywhere, but Fay moved drastically south. None of the outer bands are even hitting us

Wednesday - We wait again. Fay has headed out towards the coast and is drenching everything east of us.

Thursday - Today, when early this week I thought we'd be done with the rain, Fay is pounding us. We're on the southern end of Fay as she tracks back west. We'll still get more rain tomorrow.

Because I thought this storm was going to be in and out by Wednesday, we stayed indoors. Because it really hit today, we've been inside all week. I think the kids and I are starting to get a little cabin fever.

Thank goodness for Grandma's book care package!

On a brighter note, the kids asked me to be teacher today. They lined up their chairs against the wall (we don't do that, not sure where that came from) and asked me to teach them something. So, with Fay raging, we talked about weather. A perfect prelude to our lessons next week.

The smallest of which was Madeline

2008-08-21T00:23:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posting our homeschool weekly update.

Last week completed our study of the story of Madeline. I don't think this story held Noah's interest as much, but he did take away a few things from the book. We learned about the Eiffel Tower and made pictures of the Tower out of Popsicle sticks, which was fun. We looked at some picture books that showed the architecture of the Eiffel Tower and we talked about the elevators in the Tower.
He's fascinated by elevators and wants to go in one whenever we see one. Am I the only one with a 4 year old that thinks riding an elevator is a ride?? Gloria enjoyed the story and like playing with the "Madelines" that I cut out for math manipulative's. We also talked about rhyming words and Noah practiced writing out some words. Overall, I'm pleased with the week. I do think I'm starting to see the separation of the genders between the two kids. Gloria took to the story much more so than Noah did.
We finished up the week taking in the Patisserie's at the French Pavilion at Epcot.

These 2 pics cracked me up. There was a painting "display" in one of the stores. The kids took it upon themselves to sport berets and become artistes!

Next up, airplanes and The Glorious Flight

L is for Love Songs

2008-08-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

In no particular order, here's (a few of) my favorite Love Songs.

All you need is Love - Beatles
At the Moment - Billy Vera (Anyone remember Family Ties?)
Can't Help Falling in Love with you - Elvis (Sang my kids to sleep on this one when they were babies)
You Send Me - Sam Cooke
Crazy - Patsy Cline
Love me Do - Beatles (Really, just about any Beatles song)
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Saw a guy propose to his girl after singing this in a piano bar while on our honeymoon)
Drive - The Cars
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Bleed to Love Her - Fleetwood Mac
Love Affair - k.d. lang

Those are a few that I can think of for now. They all have their own reasons. I may have to add to them later. What are some of your favorites?

It never hurts to ask

2008-08-17T23:28:00.000-04:00

Today I had a coupon for a free loaf of bread from Sara Lee. I searched the isles at my local Publix only to find no Sara Lee bread. So, I asked. I went to the Customer Service desk and showed them the coupon I had and asked if this is something they carry, can I get it, etc. Well after a little bit of asking around, we learned that Sara Lee will not distribute to that store. Out of luck right? Nope, the store manager offered me any loaf I wanted for free in exchange for the coupon. How nice is that? So, it never hurts to ask. You may just be surprised!

It's official

2008-08-14T22:44:00.005-04:00

In two weeks I'll be a soccer mom. Stay tuned!

Can you tell me how to get?

2008-08-13T13:12:00.008-04:00

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the new season of Sesame Street has started? Yes yes I know I know. Sesame Street is for kids, right? Not in my house. I know I'm a dork for knowing this. Now, I do use Sesame Street as a learning tool for my kids. I actively watch the show with them and ask them questions about what they've watched. I firmly believe it's how they've learned their shapes as I've never really gone over that with them. And of course it reinforces their alphabet and number learning. I love the cultural lessons as well. There's just so much packed into that wonderful hour.
Now here's the real truth. I love it for their jabs at pop culture. I crack up every time I see Anderson Cooper in a trash can reporting for GNN (Grouch News Network,) Jon Stewart explaining the word practice, and my favorite so far, Neil Patrick Harris as a shoe fairy. I wish I could find the whole skit on you tube for you, but here are the highlights for the upcoming season.

New grocery challenge

2008-08-11T08:39:00.000-04:00

The last 2 weeks I've been trying to shop at one store. Usually I print out my lists from the Grocery Game and hit 2 stores, Winn Dixie & Publix, spending anywhere from 20-40 each for about a total of $70. The advantage to this, I was getting the best deals at each store. However, I wondered if I was maximizing my savings. You see, Winn Dixie gives you a coupon each time you shop for $10 off of a $75 purchase for the next week. Publix will honor competitor coupons. So here's how I changed things around.
I still use the Grocery Game to print out my lists, but instead of hitting 2 stores, I decide which one has the most deals. Then I go back and print out the list again, this time trying to get it to $75. Last week I went to Publix, this week I did Winn Dixie. Both times I spent about $55 after coupons and saved close to $80. This is less than I spend at both stores because I'm able to save an extra $10 with that coupon. As long as I buy something at Winn Dixie each week, I'll continue to get those coupons and continue to see bigger savings. I'm thrilled to be saving 60% or more each week. If you want to read more about the Grocery Game, click here. My pantry and wallet have never looked better!

A day in the life

2008-08-10T13:55:00.002-04:00

Here's a snapshot of what our typical days look like. I was reading my last post about homeschooling and when I read the words agenda and curriculum, I thought, structured. And while I do think structure is good for little ones, it provides a sense of security and confidence, I didn't want anyone to think I'm rigid in what we learn either. We follow a child led learning approach with some added help from Mom. The structure is mostly for me. I am not the type of person to wake up and say, oh, let's learn about this today. I have too much going on in my life and I need the plan. However, if we stray off course, it's ok by me as long as we're learning. I thought it might be interesting to chronicle our day.

6-7:30am Kids are up, dad gets them breakfast and they watch PBS while I sleep in.
7:45. Kids have been really good today and I get a few extra winks. (I worked until 12:30 after all

8-8:30 breakfast and coffee for me. Get the kids dressed and get ready for our school day

8:30-9 Kids are playing very well together. can't stand to interrupt. We'll get started a little later.
9-10:15 Time to read Ping. Noah and Gloria sit down with me and we read our story. Then we talk about where Ping comes from and look at a few more books on China. We talk about the house boats and more about the Yangtze River. Next we color our map and put it into our lapbook along with the Chinese flag.

10:15-10:30 Kids played some more
10:30-11 Put Noah on Starfall.com to spend a little one on one with Gloria. Eventually she just wanted to watch Noah so we worked with him on reading and his starfall worksheets.

11-11:45 Outside time. took a walk around the block, rode bikes, picked up the neighbor's mail. general randomness
11:45-1 Lunch, Sesame Street and getting ready for naps
1:30-3:30 Both kids are asleep. Noah still takes (and needs to take) a nap. Quiet time for Mommy!
After naps we head to the store to get some milk and a few other things we ran out of. Friday night we had our "China" party. We ate Chinese food, made Chinese Moon Cakes and watched the opening ceremonies. Kids got a late night and really enjoyed the fireworks and all the displays leading up to the processionals.

We had a great week with Ping. Next week is one of my favs, Madeline. We'll have to make a trip to the French Pavilion for some pastries!

Who doesn't love Free?

2008-08-07T20:28:00.002-04:00

I heard about this today.

And I thought I would go ahead and sign up. Here's the dealio:

You have original, playable DVDs that you do not want to keep.
You post those DVDs to your "DVD Tower" to offer to other members.
After you have posted the first 10 DVDs to your DVD Tower, you get 1 "gift" credit from SwapaDVD to get you started swapping (limit one per household). After that, you earn credits by sending out DVDs to others.

For more details, click on the link above and sign up. I for one think this is a great way to search for those out of print DVD's. You know the ones Disney likes to put in their vault for 10 years. I'll be looking for those. I'll let you know what I find.

Homeschool update

2008-08-07T07:31:00.003-04:00

This past week marked our first week going full force into homeschool, doing it every day with a curriculum and an agenda. And I must say, I can't be happier about it. Since the time leading up to the holidays are very busy for me at work, I knew I needed a plan if we were going to do this right. So I picked up Top 100 picks for Homeschool Curriculum at the library to help me get started.

First off, let me just say I loved this book. It not only helps you identify what your child's learning style is as well as your own, it breaks down all these wonderful curriculum's as to what would be the best fit for both of you. I wanted to go with a unit study approach, because I feel at this age (4 1/2) we could make a lot of connections with one subject leading into another. I also didn't want something too structured, and would allow for variations. I'm all about taking a field trip somewhere just because we can.

I went with Five in a Row. And of course, I went all out. I have all 3 volumes, the cookbook. I bought maps of the US and World. I think sometimes I'm more excited than the kids are. The basic premise is that you read a story, classic children's literature, five days in a row. Each day you discuss topics in Social Studies, Art, Language & Vocabulary, Science and Math as it relates back to the story. I loved the idea of reading with the kids and how it can open new worlds to them. I also loved that the stories took place all over the world. Part of the Social Studies unit is taking a story disc, and attaching it to your map in it's geographic location. One of the most important things I want my children to learn is that people are different in many ways, yet we can learn something no matter what.

I'm adding to the Five in a Row by foraging into lapbooks. This is new territory for us, but I think it'll provide a hands on tool to tie things together. Noah is very much a kinesthetic learner. There's a great site at Homeschool Share that provides a lot of tools and ideas to put in your lapbook. I would recommend this to everyone, not just homeschoolers. They have many stories and break them down into different subjects that can correlate to that story. Our first lapbook will be a little bland, as I used what I had available. But next week we should be able to jazz it up with some color.

Finally, let me tell you about how our week went. We're reading The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack. I chose this story as it takes place in China along the Yangtze River. I am tying in our lesson plan on Friday with the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics. So far, every time we talk about something during the day, Noah is relating it back to Ping the duck. We've covered story structure, Chinese numbers, buoyancy and pencil art. Friday we'll be doing geography and Chinese culture with food and Olympics to finish it up! To tie in the science and animal study, we went downtown Orlando where we could feed the swans and the ducks and talk about how they float. This is homeschool for us. I love it.

The pictures are from our buoyancy test, in which Noah guessed more things right than I did, and our trip to feed the ducks, pigeons & swans.

Sleeping Beauties

2008-08-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

Nothing beats the quiet of the night when two children turn into angels.

Techno Queen

2008-08-05T22:36:00.001-04:00

Is this wrong? She wanted to listen to the Backyardigans.

(It should be noted that I do not choose to listen to the Backyardigans on my ipod, however it is there for the enjoyment of my kids while in my car...for the most part!)

K is for Kidnapped??

2008-08-05T20:55:00.001-04:00

So, did you think I fell off the face of the earth? For some reason I must have. I have not published here since the end of May. What happened? Well a number of things. First, I began to lose focus as to what this blog is really for, so I decided to take a step back and reevaluate what direction I was taking. I think I was dabbling into a little bit of this and that, and thinking on some grand scheme. Well, life took over and this took a back seat. I decided to wait until my head clears before posting again.
Here's a few of my thoughts and happenings on the last few months. I'll post some photo updates soon too.

Summer in Florida is like Winter everywhere else. I tend to slow down and hibernate. Which is hard to do when it's so blazing sunny outside.
I've been working a lot lately, which means training season has begun.
I spent all of June getting our school year planned. Homeschool full swing this year.
The Fourth of July was fun, but I can't tell you how much I miss home this time of year.
Wally has applied for a job in Michigan.
I'm ready for the school year to begin and get back into the swing of things.

I promise to get back to my roots and just post about me, what we're doing, what's in my head etc. Love to hear that there are still some of you out there that read.

Drugstore Diva Deal of the week

2008-06-04T10:25:00.001-04:00

Much thanks as always to The Centsible Sawyer for posting her CVS Deals of the week as well as the June deals.

I found myself at CVS again this week, much to my surprise. Everyone in the house is sick, except me of course. Someone has to take care of them all. So I wanted to get them hooked up to an Orange Juice IV. Now, OJ is a little more than I'd like to pay at CVS, but I got some other deals that brought everything down to a reasonable level.

Here's the breakdown:

Transaction #1:

3 bags of Chex Mix @ 1.00 each
2 bottles of Listerine Smart Rinse @ 3.49 each
Brut Deodarant @ 2.69
2 cartons of OJ @ 4.39 each (ouch!)
Used 4/20 welcome coupon
Used 3 Chex Mix coupons @ .50 each
Used $1 off of Brut
Used 2 Listerine Smart Rince printable coupons for $1 each
Used $5 ECB's
Total = 8.00
ECB's earned = $3 for the Brut, 6.98 for the Smart Rinse. Total 9.98
Both ECB's were money makers, making the Orange Juice worth the cost and the trip.

May Month in review

2008-05-31T10:13:00.002-04:00

Here's how we did this month. May was our first month coming out of the hole from the holidays and the lack of hours at my job. Things are starting to pick up again with work and we were able to put some money into savings as well as make on time payments to our credit cards.

Our goals for the year:

Pay off 3 credit cards by the end of the year
Pay off another by April of next year
Have savings funded for 3 months of living expenses (working towards 6)
Have car emergency fund to 2K
Incorporate my work at home business and fund my tax account as necessary

Steps this month towards that goal

$150 towards taxes
$140 into living expense savings
Paid down debt by $ 421

All in all we feel this was a good step towards paying down our debt. We hope to have 3 credit cards (all three which are store cards opened over Christmas) paid off by the end of the year, another paid off by April and finally working on our Discover card pay off by the middle of 2010. As an added bonus, both of our vehicles will be paid off by January, so we can put more towards paying off credit, as well as allowing me to cut or eliminate my hours at work.

Grocery Game Savings for the week

2008-05-27T11:54:00.001-04:00

I think it's helpful to see where the savings come from. I will post here weekly on our grocery savings for the previous week.

Winn Dixie - Total 145.08, minus bogo, sale & coupons. Final total 59.58. Savings 60%

Highlights: 5 Cool Whips for $1 each. Chicken breasts $.99/lb, 4 packages of Hot Dog buns free after coupon and BOGO.

Publix - Total 118.51, minus bogo, sale & over $20 in coupons, Final total 56.98. Savings 60%

Highlights: Crescent Rolls 1.33 each, Bertolli Pasta Pouches 2 for 2.49, Lipton side pouches .37 each, Helluva Good Dip .62 each.

My budget for the week is supposed to be $80 and I went over that by $36 this week. However, we had a little extra left over this month and the sales were really good this week due to the holiday weekend. The pantry is looking well stocked and I have more than enough for 2 weeks worth of meals if I need to. My grocery money comes out of my paychecks (twice a month) so I borrowed against next weeks deals. I'm pretty sure I'll come out alright. I'll post here next week and let you know.

As far as the deals and coupons, 95% of the deals I got were thanks to the Grocery Game. And it took me about 30 minutes (maybe less) to pick my lists, gather my coupons. Another huge advantage of using the Grocery Game? Time in the store. With my list in hand, I do not wander the isles aimlessly. Today, I spent 45 minutes at Publix. And the only reason it took me that long was because I had never been to this particular Publix before and I wasn't as familiar with the layout. I'd say normally I can be in and out of the grocery store in 20-30 minutes. Ideal when you've got 2 kids with you. If you sign up for the Grocery Game, please use tonyadenmark @ yahoo dot com as a referral. Go check it out.

Did I tell you?

2008-05-27T11:26:00.001-04:00

This guy graduated a few weeks ago.

Drugstore Diva Deal of the week

2008-05-26T15:27:00.001-04:00

Much thanks as always to The Centsible Sawyer for posting her CVS deals of the week.

I haven't shopped much at CVS recently because it hasn't been very convenient for me. I like to do my shopping trips all in one day and with 2 small kids in tow, I would much rather hit the grocery stores and get things I really need. However, this week CVS had a deal I couldn't pass up, not so much for the ECB's but really just the good savings.

Here's the breakdown:

Transaction #1:

8 Playskool Cottony Cloths (baby wipes) @ 2.50 each. Total $20
Use 4/20 welcome coupon
Use 8 $1 off printable coupons (check Denise's blog above for links)
Use $3 off CVS product (these are considered CVS brand) coupon retrieved at the price scanner
Total = 5.84
ECB's earned = $5

Now, my CVS had trouble scanning more than one Playskool coupon, but the cashier forced it in for me so all the above coupons went through.

Transaction #2

2 Playskool packs of Diapers sz 4 for 46 count @ 10.99 each. Total $21.98
Use 4/20 welcome coupon
Use 2 $2 off printable coupons
Use $5 ECB's from previous transsaction
Total = $9.75
ECB's earned = $5

While I didn't walk away with a mega amount of ECB's, I did get a heck of a lot of diapers and wipes. I usually buy store brand for G and this amount of diapers and wipes at Publix would normally cost me over $35. Today's total came to $15.59 with $5 for a future purchase. I'm very happy with the results.

The best for last (at least in my opinion)

2008-05-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

The following photos were some of my favorite in the entire park. The Hydrangeas below were full and bursting with color. I don't think the pictures even did them enough justice. Now I must say, I am not a gardener, nor do I even remotely have a green thumb. But if I wanted to try my hand at brightening up my outdoor space, I think the hydrangeas would be the route I go. This garden patch was located towards the back of France where they also had a "smell" tour. Little boxes lifted to reveal different smells and what type of perfume might have these scents.Doesn't that just look inviting?

The Canadian gardens were the next garden patch I fell in love with. Canada has a nice sprawling walkway down and towards the right. Normally spread with wildflowers, the Flower and Garden festival kicks it up a notch by adding to the spread.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing what the Flower and Garden festival, along with Epcot, has to offer. More and more Epcot is turning into my favorite park for the learning opportunities, the scenery and adventures into other countries. And, lest we forget... the food! Food & Wine festival begins in just about 4 months. I'll be saving my pennies!

Chinese Topiaries

2008-05-25T22:41:00.006-04:00

I have some more pictures that I took at the Flower and Garden Festival that I've been meaning to share with you... so I'll just get to it. Here are some pictures from the Chinese Gardens depicting the Chinese Zodiac. I am always impressed by the details that go into these topiaries. I've noticed that I only have 10 animals as they did not have all of them displayed. Ironically, one of them that's missing would have to be Wally's birth year... The year of the Rat! Would anyone like to wager a guess what year I was born in?

J is for Joy

2008-05-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

The joy of capturing that silly face or genuine smile.

Disney for Adults

2008-05-23T19:57:00.003-04:00

Final week for Destination Disney from Jennifer at Snapshot and this theme is Disney for Adults.

While I'm sure most people think of Disney as the place to bring the kids, I can't think of a better place to come as an adult with or with out children... but lets talk about without for now. Disney is the perfect place to vacation as an adult with a multitude of romantic offerings (read: no kids allowed) with the added bonus of having a theme park where you can act like a kid!
Here's my list of things to enjoy as an adult at Disney.

The first thing many people will mention is Pleasure Island. This is an adult only area at Downtown Disney with themed bars and restaurants. There is a one price admission and you can hop in and out of bars at will. Amongst the bars themes include 70's, R&B/Hip Hop, Club music and a Comedy Warehouse. It has been many many years since I've been to PI, but as a young adult I spent quite a few nights there. A little background story, cast members have a discount night and many will frequent PI on that night. While on the College Program, it was the easiest place to get to without a car. I also met my future husband during 80's night at 8 traxx. Don't tell anyone I was dancing on the platforms!
As a more mature adult now, one of the many things we enjoy doing is spending time at the resorts. You do not have to be a registered guest to visit the resort and each has something to offer. One of my favorite, and free, things to do is to go to the Polynesian Resort. It's a pleasure to walk the grounds and enjoy the flora and fauna. Or you can grab a romantic hammock for 2 and enjoy the sunset over Seven Seas Lagoon (why am I not sure if that's the right name) Also after the sun has gone down, you can enjoy a little known treasure of an old fashioned Disney. An Electrical Water Parade floats by complete with music. It can best be viewed at the Poly or Grand Floridian. I can remember catching this when I was younger so it always brings back fond memories. I'll have to take the kids sometime and snap some pictures for you all.
Another resort we enjoy is actually the Fort Wilderness Campground. When you arrive at the campground, you're not allowed to drive your vehicle any further than the parking lot. This makes it a beautiful, and safe, place to just walk and explore. Of course to walk from the entrance to the beach area is quite a long walk. Fortunately you can take one of the resort buses to get you to the "main" area of the campground. Before you head back that way, however, you can take advantage of horse back riding if that's your thing. Something even more romantic however would be to take a horse drawn carriage rid e through the campground. One of the wonderful things about the campground is that you feel totally submersed into the old Florida complete with tall oaks, spanish moss and cypress trees. You may actually forget you're at Disney World! The campground also has a secluded beach with hammocks, and you'd think you were in the middle of nowhere. (Yes, this is a pic of my kids in an adult post, but you get the idea of the view!)
Dining at Disney can also be a wonderful event shared by 2 adults. There are a number of restaurants geared towards adults, and while you may find children present, most people will not bring children to these restaurants while on vacation. Topping the romantic list is probably Narcoossee's & California Grill. Both are located in prime spots with an excellent view of the Magic Kingdom and fireworks. I haven't eaten at either (since I have kids and no sitter) but you can take a look at the offerings by clicking the links above. There's many many more places to have a wonderful dining experience but almost too many to count.
Epcot's World Showcase. Epcot, while it can be fun for kids in some respects, is really geared towards the adults, at least in the country pavilions. I take the kids through the countries often as a learning experience, but you can really submerge yourself in the culture between the shopping, dining and local entertainment. Get a times guide and just take your time walking through the countries enjoying the sites and sounds. Talk to the cast members in each pavilion. They represent the country they work in and can give you more glimpses into their culture. You could almost feel as if you have taken a trip around the world.

I can't wait to see what the other posters will say about Disney for Adults. I had such a good time having a reason to blog about Disney. Not that I always need a reason to talk about Disney, sometimes I just need a reason to blog in general. I want to thank Jennifer for coming up with this brilliant idea and thank everyone for their wonderful comments as well.

Pizza Party

2008-05-22T18:19:00.015-04:00

We've been talking about food and food groups and how things are organized in the store according to it's "type." Noah is getting the basics of it down, such as milk, yogurt and cheese belong in the dairy group.

To get him started I cut out lots of pictures from the coupon clippings and store sales flyers and we pasted them into our separate food groups. We talked about how something like pizza belongs in many different groups since it has dough (bread) cheese (dairy) veggies (green peppers) and meat (pepperoni.)

After we had our collages completed we played Grocery Store. I took the pictures and hung them around the living room and had my stock boy and girl organize their play food by the category it belonged. Then, according to the food pyramid, we bought enough food for a full days supply. While the food pyramid is a bit more advanced, it was fun for them to see how much food goes into a full day.

Then, later in the week, I saw Meg's post about making a paper pizza pie and thought that would be fun. I always like her ideas and try to adapt some of them into our routine.
Here's what we did. On the last picture you can see very faintly
that Noah wrote pizza all by himself. He really loves to write so we're trying to label everything we do... Hey, that's not a bad idea...labeling all the items in the house (think The Color Purple) We'll have to try that in a few months when he's recognizing more words.

What happened?

2008-05-21T19:49:00.002-04:00

I was going really strong blogging for a while and I guess I hit a wall with what to post. I don't consider myself much of a writer so I only write when I have something to share or an opinion. Work seems to have slowed down a bit this week, so I'll work on getting some posts up soon. More Disney stuff on the way as well as homeschool and maybe a little more alphabet soup. Now, what can I come up with for J??

Disney on a budget

2008-05-11T10:37:00.005-04:00

This week Jennifer at Snapshot is hosting Disney on a budget. It's a little different for us since we don't often stay on property, here's some tips I can offer that can translate to everyone.

Stay on property. Disney has 4 levels of rooms on property and as many different price ranges for each style of room. There's Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Home away from Home. Best price is going to be the Value priced hotels. In my opinion, best value is the Moderate resorts. Moderate resorts offer in room refrigerators which we've made use of, as well as just a little more room overall so that we can take advantage of bringing our own breakfast, snacks and drinks.
What you spend in money to stay on property will save you in time. Disney is not small. Nor is the traffic. If you stay off property, even if it's "minutes" from Disney, depending on the time of year, you can easily spend 45-60 minutes going from hotel to destination. Plus, if you're driving, you'll pay parking fees. Currently $11 a day. Second, if you're not driving but staying off property, you are forced to rely on their transportation. Which may only stop at your hotel every 30-60 minutes. When you factor in all the time lost, plus the money you've already spent on tickets, it might just not be worth it. Case in point ~ Door to door, I live about 22 miles from the Animal Kingdom (the closest one to me) and it still takes me about 60 minutes to go from my house to park entrance, once you factgor in lights, traffic and parking. And I know the back ways in!
Disney also has 5 different Seasons: Value, Regular, Summer, Peak & Holiday. This year value season is running Jan. 1 - Feb. 13; Aug. 3 - Oct. 1; Nov. 30 - Dec. 18. I can't say it enough. Visit during value. Take the kids out of school if necessary. The best time out of that value season in my opinion are the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The parks are decked out in all their holiday splendor without the rush of the holiday crowds (the crowds are thinner but not as thin as September.) Click here for a good breakdown of the rates.
Another little saving trick I do is bring my own drinks for the kids and I. I have a polycarbonate bottle and I fill it with drinking water from the taps at Disney. I know many of you do not like Florida water and I can't say as I blame you. I've gotten used to it from living here. However, I buy those single serving drink mix packs and throw a couple in my bag. Crystal Light, Tea 2 Go are a few I've seen. I find that it disguises the taste. This works better for me than carrying multiple bottles of water.
Photopass. These are free from the photographers at Disney, and you can take pics right along side the photographer. The best part about these are teh fact you can view your pics up to 30 days after they've been taken. We get one whenever we're in the park and I can always review who took the better pic (usually it's me, or at least they're the same.) Also, they'll often have online coupon codes that you would not get in the park. My advice, photos are best viewed and tweaked at home when you can plan for what you're spending and not buy pics as an impulse buy. Plus, there's no line to your pc at home as there will be in the photo shops!
Finally, probably the best place to learn about doing Disney on a budget is from the people that are talking about it everyday. The DIS Discussion forum has a Budget Board. Read, research and save!!

In addition to WDW Info and the Dis Boards, check out MouseSavers.com for a list of deals and discounts in the area.

This week was a little hectic for me as we were planning for a yard sale. I'll get more posts up during the week and I plan on continuing my pics from the Flower and Garden festival.
Have a great week and a Happy Mothers Day.

What would the local girl do?

2008-05-07T20:06:00.005-04:00

I'm so pleased with all the comments left for me on my last post, I wanted to write a follow up. Daisy Girl asked about planning a trip with 3 kids for 2 days and what is the best park to go and why. I emailed her a long response about just one of the things I would do and thought, gee, I should repost that here.

My kids love Animal Kingdom, so I say that is a must do. We like AK because there is plenty of things to look at as we walk around and I think it has something for all of your ages. Everyone can do the Kilimanjaro Safari, there are 2 animal walk-abouts that the kids enjoy. There are guides stationed along the walk abouts that will answer any questions your or the kids have. Depending on how much you want to learn about animals, the Conservation Station is a good place to learn a little more and there is a petting zoo, but I usually do not take the time to go back there. I don't find that it entertains my kids for too long.
Also in AK the kids enjoy the Dino Land area. There is a play area, although I suggest 2 adults present as it is easy to lose track of a kid otherwise (happened to me!) plus a dumbo like ride themed for Dinos. Older children may enjoy the Dinosaur ride but I would say it's a bit too scary for the younger ones. The Nemo show near the Dino Land area is a must do. A Bug's Life under the Tree of Life is also really cute. It is a 3D attraction and it does get dark. My 4 year old is very sensitive to anything that might seem dark and scary, so we don't do that attraction yet.

AK is also the best place to see characters as the lines are minimal. There is an area called Camp Minnie-Mickey. The main characters are back there in their safari gear and I don't think I've ever waited more than 10 minutes per character. It's a hidden area and unless you're looking for it, I think most people miss it. As you're entering the oasis area, it's off to the right, notated only by a large sign. Plus, people might also think it's an area just for kids. Just make sure you're not there when the Lion King show is letting out, then the lines might be a bit longer. That being said, The Lion King show is also another good one to see. Very lively.

I always recommend slowing down and just enjoying the scenery and AK is certainly the best place to do that. I'd go in, head straight for the safari as the lines do get longer. Sometimes we get a fast pass and then wait in line, and by the time we're done, we can use our fast passes to go again. Or we get a fast pass and then walk one of the jungle trails then come back for the safari. But after you've hit the safari, you're free to roam at a more leisurely pace. Don't try to see it all, esp with 3 younger kids. Just enjoy your time there.

As for food, we really enjoy the Flame Tree BBQ restaurant near the entrance to Dino Land. There's a lot of seating out back and the views of Expedition Everest are really neat to see. You can almost imagine you're looking at a real mountain!! I've also heard good reviews about the new Yak & Yeti restaurant, but have not tried it for myself yet. For menus, go here.

And that was everything I said about just spending one day in the park. When you enter Animal Kingdom, you feel as if you have escaped to a whole new world and escaped this one. Truly a magical feeling. Don't forget to absorb it all in.

I will also post about the other must do for a 2 day vacation and that has to be Magic Kingdom. You just can't mess with the classic. Until next time....

Planning a trip to Disney

2008-05-02T19:28:00.000-04:00

Here's my post for Jennifer's Destination Disney this week. The theme is planning a trip to Disney. Here's the loads of advice I can offer being a local. (Read more about that here.)

First piece of advice to planning for a Disney Vaca is just that. Plan. Pick up a copy of Birnbaum's Official Guide to WDW and start there. I always find a book is easier to navigate then a website to start with. I used to study this book year after year before I lived here. It's a classic and there are many variations, including one for kids and one without the kids.
The next step is to get online. My favorite site has to be WDWInfo.com. It's well laid out and includes details about the parks, attractions, hotels, restaurants (including pricing,) the latest news, and discussion boards.
If you're planning a big vacation, get a travel agent. It costs you nothing and you can find ones that specialize in Disney travel. Those specialists have been here and know the area. They can help you find the right place at the right price. Why not have an expert at your disposal for no extra charge.
Get local. Find and read blogs from locals that have the inside scoop. A few faves, DisUnplugged and DisneyWorldTrivia. DisUnplugged also puts out a weekly podcast. This talented bunch is located here in Orlando and are weekly visitors to the park. They know their stuff. Plus, since they are not affiliated with Disney, they can be honest about what works and what doesn't.
Try to go during an off season. I know I know, you have kids in school. Take em out, just this once. Believe me, if this is one of those "once in a lifetime" vacations, it's worth it.
Visit in the fall or early spring when the weather is bearable. Oh yeah, that reminds me, watch the Weather Channel and get an accurate report of what the temps are here. I can't tell you the number of times I heard "This is Florida, I thought it was supposed to be warm here." Uh, yes, it's Florida, and yes it's warmer than where you came from, but no, this is not the tropics. Believe it or not, we get below freezing. No it doesn't happen often, but it is news when it does. (The oranges don't like it)
Get local pt 2. When you arrive, talk to the cast members. Ask questions about the best time to get on rides, or even the best rides in their opinion. Ask about their favorite places to eat both on and off property. These folks live and breathe Disney every day. Plus, they get in for free and do and see the parks whenever they want. You may get lucky and get a real "nut" who knows his stuff.
Relax. Disney isn't going anywhere. You probably will not see it all. Heck, I live here and still haven't done it all. (Case in point, still haven't done Expedition Everest, mostly b/c I have little kids)

Ok, so now that you have all my unsolicited advice as to how to plan a trip to Disney, here's what we do when we go.

Usually I plan our trips about a week, sometimes less, in advance. I generally like to tie it in with something we're studying if I can, or a special event in the parks.
The night before I pack our snacks and drinks into my backpack and set it by the door. You can bring food into the park, so if you're not a local, feel free to stock up at the grocery store when you arrive. The moderate and deluxe resorts have in room fridges, or you can book a villa either on or off property.
I pack things like raisins, trail mix, granola bars, apples, grapes, carrots. Since I still have one in diapers, I always have wipes with me anyway, but this is still a good idea if you have anything sticky.
That's not to say we don't eat in the parks but we don't usually call too far ahead to make reservations anywhere either. Dining reservations open 180 days in advance, and if there is something you're dying to try, it's worth it to sit on the phone and make that reservation. But, again, be flexible. You are on vacation, you don't have to have dinner at 5:30 sharp. Enjoy a late lunch at 2pm or an early dinner at 4pm. That's especially nice if you have kids. We do early lunch and early dinner, so that everyone can crash early too. Because after a full day at Disney, early to bed is a good thing.
I can't say we do a lot of planning as to what attraction we're going to hit. We are lucky enough to enjoy the little things and just go with the flow when we get there. A few things we do... hit the big attractions during the parade, start at the back and move forward through the park. This is especially important at Animal Kingdom as Kilimanjaro Safari is very popular.

There ya have it. It's a lot different than someone planning for a year to come down here, but then again, I'm one of those locals that I'm happy to share what I think about what to do when and where etc. Of course, take it at face value. I have young'uns so my experience may be different than yours. I'm sure there's more I do, just can't think to write it down right now!! Go here for more of my Disney posts.

Topiaries, the supporting cast

2008-04-30T07:42:00.000-04:00

I love this shot, since there's an ad for Disney Vacation Club in the middle! Nice synergy Disney!

They had 3 or 4 different play areas set up for the kids, which was a really nice addition. Peter Pan was the theme in one of them.

Topiaries or Flower and Garden part II

2008-04-29T07:26:00.000-04:00

During the Flower and Garden fest at Epcot, many of your favorite characters come alive as Topiaries. Topiaries are plants and flowers that are molded into the shape of a character or thing. Eons ago when I worked at Disney, during Traditions we were taken by the horticulture workshop and we saw many topiaries in progress. First, let me explain that Traditions was Disney's training program for new recruits and 10+ years ago it was a 2 day event. I've heard it's been shortened so I'm not sure everyone gets to see all the behind the scenes that we did. Second, topiaries take many many months to cultivate. They start out as a wire shell and the plants are grown and groomed around the shell. The Flower and Garden specialties are kept year round at the greenhouses when not in use. However, you will see some topiaries year round in certain locations. Sorcerer Mickey at MGM, er Disney's Hollywood studios comes to mind. In fact, there will be between 2 and 4 of those same Mickey's at the workshop so they can swap him out whenever he is looking "shaggy." I took a lot of pics of topiaries last Friday, so I'm going to split them up into at least 2 posts. These are the fab 5, Mickey, Minne, Goofy, Pluto and Donald. Of course Donald is outside of Mexico with his friends from the Three Caballeros .
I forgot to mention, this years theme is Fun in the Sun and when you enter Epcot, Beach Boy tunes are playing. Very festive!

You're never fully dressed without a Smile ~ Also known as 400 free prints from Arts Cow

2008-04-28T19:54:00.004-04:00

Holy Cow!!! And much thanks to Heather at Freebies for Mom for the mention of this FANTASTIC deal.

ArtsCow is photo print website that is giving away 400 free prints just for signing up. Plus, you can also get a 20 page 8x8 photo book as well. The free prints break down into 200 4x6 and 200 5x7 prints that you must order in quantities of 50 for the next 4 months. Again, Holy Cow!! I am envisioning the possibilities now. (Beck, I know you... you must sign up for this, tell Leanne too and your mom and.... ) Then on top of the prints you get a free photo book that must be ordered by the end of the year.
Here's the blurb from their website

Artscow is a leading online digital photo with using the most advanced technology to provide a time saving, efficient and fast photo upload, sharing and downloading platform for our clients. Whether you are professional photographers, models, make up artists or just ordinary people, you can share your works or life through our platforms with friends and family. Artscow also offer more than 200 personalized photo products ranging from photo books, playing cards, mugs, T-shirts, mousepads and so much more's at the lowest price on the earth.

Even without the free prints, the price per print seems like a steal at 6cents for a 4x6 and 12 for the 5x7. I can see a lot more 5x7's in my future at that steal of a deal.

Hurry and sign up because the website also says this...

Since the promotion for 400 free prints & 1 free 8x8 photo book is one of the most popular and hottest deals in the market, we have received over 15,000 new registrants in the last two weeks, over 15,000 photo books and 6,000,000 free prints credits have been granted to all qualified members. Once our target of 20,000,000 free prints credits granted in these days, we will stop this aggressive marketing promotion

I'm not sure yet if and what the shipping costs are, but still seems like a great deal for 50 free prints at a time. Now, my challenge will be... Can I come up with 50 prints, and if I do, what am I going to do with them all?? I'm seeing at least a Mothers Day gift in the future for Grandma.

Oh, and to give me a little referral kick back click here. I'm not concerned with the referrals I get at this time, I just want you to save!!

Flower and Garden Festival part I

2008-04-28T07:30:00.000-04:00

Friday we took the day off from homeschooling and did some Epcot school. I think Epcot is a great place to take the kids to learn outside of the house, and getting hands on knowledge. Right now, Epcot is in the midst of the Flower and Garden Festival. Flowers abound everywhere and topiaries come to life. Epcot has a wealth of information during these types of events and we tried to soak up as much as we could. We may have to go back for a return visit just to make sure we didn't miss anything. I am going to share the pics we took in a few parts, mostly because I took over 80 today alone.

Butterfly Garden. The kids were enthralled with watching the butterflies here. I thought the pavilion itself was rather small, especially toting around a double stroller. We saw Monarchs, Julias and Zebra striped to name a few. Plus a rather large butterfly at the entrance. We talked with Noah about the metamorphosis from a larva to the butterfly stage and he seemed rather excited to see some of the butterflies emerging from their cocoons.

Destination Disney

2008-04-27T12:07:00.005-04:00

I love this idea from Jennifer at Snapshot. Each week she'll be posting a different theme in relation to Disney. Being a Disney fan myself... just click here to see my posts on the matter... I couldn't resist becoming a part of this. Check out Jennifer's blog, and click on the additional links from around the web. Jennifer... I don't think you know what you got yourself into!!

I cheated this week (since I came in late) and linked back to her a post I had last week about riding the double decker cars on Main Street, but it was a magical and new experience for us. I will definitely be coming up with original posts to add to my plethora as well. The rest of this week I have Flower and Garden pictures to share so stay tuned.

Upcoming for Destination Disney...
Disney Magic -- the weekend of April 25
Planning Your Trip to Disney -- the weekend of May 2
Disney on a Budget -- the weekend of May 9
Disney Hotels and Resorts -- the weekend of May 16
Disney for Adults -- the weekend of May 23

I think I might have an opinion on all of those! ;)

Water works

2008-04-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

This was a fun week. We (meaning I) decided to expand on the Earth Day theme and talked about where rain comes from and the importance of conserving water. I found some great worksheets here. Noah really seemed to respond to these worksheets and did a great job coloring them. In addition, I boiled a pot of water with the lid on to show the effects of steam and vapor. Then we showed how the steam and condensation formed clouds, and when the clouds got heavy, it rained and collected on the ground and in the water. We also taped these worksheets up in the dining room to reinforce the lesson all week. I think Noah was really proud of himself. (and yes, that kid needs a haircut!)

We made the cottonball collages with the glitter as well. Then I decided to get messy and let the kids feel what a cloud might feel like before and after it fills with rain, and how to make it rain. I went one step further and colored the water blue. The kids had fun and hopefully took something away from it all. We had a great week talking about water and Noah is just expanding every day. I am amazed to see his progress since we really started to do the homeschool "thing" in January.

Pie in review

2008-04-26T07:32:00.001-04:00

I mentioned last week that we were going to the Pie Festival at Celebration. The weekend was wonderful as it was last year.

I didn't take too many pictures as we were busy eating. I didn't find as many fruit pies this year as I did last and those I tried were not that great. However, I did grab a few Crisco goodies and recipes. Now that I am trying to make my own crusts more often, I am learning that Crisco is really the only way to go. Butter or Margarine just doesn't bring out the flake that Crisco does.

Here's a shot of the kids I'll share with you. What do you think Gloria must be thinking there? I can't quite nail it down myself.

We had a good time as always just being together as a family and letting the kids explore new tastes.

Time, time, time... See what's become of me.

2008-04-25T21:00:00.001-04:00

Do you know today marks the 116th day of the year? And that there's 245 days until Christmas? Or more realistically, there are 32 days left until Memorial Day and the official start of Summer. Or in our case, maybe the official start of HOT, CRAZY HOT and DRIPPING HOT weather.
Some of you may know that I am originally from Michigan and I get a lot of questions from friends and family regarding how do I live here in the summer. I reply, same as you live in the winter. Except, instead of staying indoors with the heat on, I stay indoors with the air on. I heard a good comment once from a friend here that said, at least I don't have to shovel heat and humidity. That being said, I'd be a snowbird if I could. Don't know what a snowbird is? That is what we Floridians refer to those northerners that invade our state during the winter months. Yes, I am well under 60... but then again, I'd like to enjoy 60-70 degree weather all year round!

I was taken aback recently too when I extended my cell phone contract in order to get a new free phone. My contract is now extended until 2010. Can you believe that? In less than 2 years we will be a decade into the Millennium. And that got me to thinking where I was at the turn of the century. Wally and I were just getting married (it'll be 8 years in May.) I was on my way to finishing my degree in Broadcasting, which at the time I knew I would never use. We were making our plans to move to Orlando for a job that I was taking the following year. Now as I sit here, I'm looking for houses up north so that we can be closer to our family. My husband is now the one leading the job search (too bad the economy in Michigan has tanked.) I am now a stay at home mom, something I never thought would happen.

It's amazing what a decade (or less) can bring about in change. Shoot, I'm amazed at what can be accomplished in 116 days. What have you done with your year so far?

Saving and Money-making

2008-04-25T20:12:00.006-04:00

I'm working on a new blog, MommyWhoSaves to post our savings, report the deals I've scored etc. It's still a work in progress, but I'm hoping to turn this into a money making blog down the road, so I'm giving a little attention to it every week. Also so that this blog doesn't get boring with I saved 150% at Publix posts, I thought I would direct you there, read, don't read. Tell me what you like, don't like etc. I did get some fantastic deals at CVS this week.

But, before I go, one more plug. I was going to say last, but I make no promises. Go sign up for your free $25 from Revolution Money Exchange. The promotion only lasts until May 15th. This site is so easy and in a matter of minutes, I made $60 for our family. I signed up, then referred my husband. Both of us received $25 for signing up and then I got the $10 kickback for referring him. $60 for about 4 minutes of work - Totally worth it. This site is very similar to the Paypal we've all come to know, but goes one step further. If you're a seller on Ebay, RME will not charge you any collection fees. In the future when I start selling again on Ebay, this will be the only way I go.

So what are you waiting for?? Hit this button.

I am a CVS Superstar

2008-04-23T13:04:00.001-04:00

Thanks a bunch to Denise over at The Centsible Sawyer, I did amazing at CVS today.

Here's the breakdown.

Transaction #1

2 Freestyle Glucose Monitors on sale for $10 each.
2 Bottles of Herbal Essence Shampoo/Conditioner @ 4.29 each.
Total before coupons = 28.58
Minus 2 Freestyle coupons for $10 each
Minus B1G1 sale for Shampoo @ 4.29
Minus 4/20 CVS coupon
Final total plus tax = .32
ECB's earned = 10 for 1 of the Monitors

Transaction # 2

3 Boost Smoothie 6packs @ 6.99 each
1 Men's Speedstick @ 3.99
Total before coupons = 24.96
Minus 3 $3 off of Boost multipack coupons
Minus .75 speedstick coupon from SS 4/20 (?)
Minus 4/20 CVS coupon
Minus $10 ECB's from previous transaction
Final total plus tax = 1.21
ECB's earned = $10 for Boost and 3.99 for Speedstick

Transaction #3

3 CVS Rapid release pain reliever 24 ct @ 3.99 each
2 Reese's Big cups at 2/$1 ( I needed a dollar filler!)
Total before coupons = 12.97
Minus 3/10 CVS brand coupon from the Price checkers
Minus $10 ECB from the previous transaction
Final total plus tax = .04
ECB's earned = 11.97 for the CVS pain relievers

Grand Totals

Total = 66.51
OOP = 1.57
ECB's earned = 35.96
ECB's used = $20
Leaving 15.96 plus 4.99 that I had from last week.

All in all, I am thrilled with how I did. This is the first major shopping trip I've planned to CVS to make money. To learn how to do CVS and do it right, read CVS 101 from Money Saving Mom.
To get the fantastic deals on coupons go to The "Cent"sible Sawyer for this week.
Sign up at CVS .com to get emails containing your 4/20 coupons. ( I swear I found some at IheartCVS, but couldn't find them again at time of publishing) edit: I've seen online that CVS is requiring websites to remove the coupons. Make sure you sign up for CVS emails and print as many as you think you'll need.

And for those of you who know I do not have Diabetes, I am donating the monitors to my doctor's office to give away as needed.

Adventures in Postcrossing

2008-04-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

I thought I would share with you the postcards I've sent and received so far via Postcrossing. I have mailed a piece of Clermont or Orlando to South Africa, Finland, Germany and Virginia. To date I have received these postcards from Helsinki, Finland and 3 postcards from one user in Norway. Very generous

Best I can tell the naked baby statue comes out of Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo. There's some more info about it Here as well. Certainly not something you would see in America. See, we're learning something new already.

On a much larger scale, my mom told me about ePals. From what I can see by glancing at their site, it's a "pen pal" community for classrooms, though I don't see why a homeschool group couldn't participate as well. We'll be delving into this once the kids get older. There's also a yahoo group called Postcard Kids that does the same thing.

I just can't not share

2008-04-19T08:13:00.000-04:00

Another savings trip, this week from Target.

I got all this for $4.23.
I'm sorry, I don't keep track of where I get the coupons but here's the combination of sales and deals that I used.

Lady Speed stick, on sale for 2/$4. I used 2 $1 off coupons making them $1 each.
Mitchum deodorant on sale 2/$4. I used .75 off making it 1.25.
Degree marked down to $1.72. I had a $1.50 coupon making it .22 cents
Dove Sample .99 cents, I had a $1 off coupon to use on anything over 1 oz. Free
Oral B toothbrush on clearance for $1.52, used .75 coupon making it .76 cents.

Now we're stocked on deodorant that full price could have cost us anywhere $3 a stick.

How to do Disney like a local

2008-04-18T08:07:00.003-04:00

The kids and I have gone to the parks about 3 times in the last 2 weeks. Yes, I fully realize they are spoiled, thinking that Walt Disney World is their playground. We just want to take full advantage of the opportunity while we still live in Florida. We never know when we'll get the opportunity to move back North someday.

Anyway, since it's been spring break, I've taken to noticing things about tourists. Ok, I've noticed these things for years, but I got to thinking I should blog about it!! ;) Now, mind you, we don't go when it's crazy busy, but the crowds have been busier than what we usually enjoy. Because we're local we can come and go as we please and don't feel the pressure that many tourists feel. Plus, I worked for Disney many eons ago and know the lay of the lands. Here are a few things I've noticed that I thought I'd pass along.

Accept that you will not see, do, be everything and everywhere you want to do see and be. When you vacation at the same time as 90,000 other people, you will wait in line. For everything. Take the time to meet people from other areas of the country and other parts of the world that you are sharing those lines with. My husband says I can meet someone from Michigan wherever I go, and this is how I do it, by talking to people.
If you don't want to talk to strangers, enjoy the scenery. Disney is in the details. Hunt for Hidden Mickeys. (not an urban legend, they exist) The lines at Disney are usually themed as well. Check out the flora and fauna. Watch the birds eat. Maybe, and here's a stretch, enjoy the family you have with you. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard something akin to "You're going to enjoy this ride or else?" Or else what? Which brings me to my next point.
Relax. You are on vacation. Yes, I understand that it costs a lot to do Disney. But do you really want to come home saying you need a vacation from your vacation? Going back to point #1, have it in your head that this is not a once in a lifetime vacation. If you plan right, you can do Disney every 2-3 years. There's a great resource over at the DisBoards called the Budget Board. There's a wealth of info on saving money and doing it right.
Relax. I can't say it enough. This is a vacation. If you didn't get to ride Space Mountain, so be it. You'll do it on the next trip. Or not. Enjoy what you did get to do.
Research. Walt Disney World is about as big as the island of Manhattan. There is a lot to see and do. Check out sites like Walt Disney World.com and WDWInfo (my fave) or get a travel agent. You don't pay the travel agent any more to make your reservations for you and they can be a wealth of info. If you have a head start on the layout of the lands, you'll be in better shape to enjoy yourself when you get there. I am a planner and I would never think to go somewhere without having a clue about where everything is located, what I want to see and do, what I don't mind missing if I have to, etc. My husband thinks I'm nuts, but we always have a good time no matter where we go and we see new and interesting things.

When we go to Disney, I immediately relax and feel at home. Maybe that's something I can do since I'm local or because I'm a former cast member. Or maybe I relax because I allow myself to take in the magic in the air. There is truly something magical and special about being at Walt Disney World, and if you let yourself, you can enjoy it too. Or Else!

A view from above

2008-04-17T09:28:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, the kids and I went to Magic Kingdom for business and pleasure and we were fortunate enough to ride in the double decker motor car down Main Street. I see the motor cars up and down Main Street every so often, but in all my years visiting, have never taken the opportunity to ride until yesterday. Silly me however, forgot to take a picture of the actual vehicle.
Didn't stop me from taking these amazing pics. Incredibly blue sky, but still only 65 and windy.

The start of our adventure. See all the people... keep looking

Oh there they are, all headed to the same place.

Isn't that sky amazingly blue...

And our final destination. I just love it here.

Couldn't resist one shot of the Balloon Man. I do think that would be a fun job. For about 10 minutes anyway.

I is for Ice Cream

2008-04-15T22:00:00.003-04:00

Because who doesn't like Ice Cream? and because what else would I be for??

Here's some fun links

What Ice Cream flavor are you?
I'm a mixture of Butter Pecan and Vanilla, sounds boring I know.

Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream on April 29th

My favorite flavor is Edy's Girl Scout Cookie Samoa limited edition. (Also my favorite GS Cookie!!) You can only get these a certain time of year and according to Edy's flavor finder... there are none in my area at this time.

To go along with the ice cream theme... We're headed to Celebration this weekend for the annual Great American Pie Festival. We went last year and had a blast. For $10, it's all you can eat Pie. (They did have ice cream too!) Last year we sampled from about 8 different bakeries, at least. And that's not to say they didn't have minimum of 4 flavors per bakery. It was Pie heaven. I'll report back on our findings after Saturday. I can't wait. We had so much fun last year.

Now I just need someone to tell me the best way to get the crust from the counter to the pie tin and I'll be all set to make my own.

Free Money

2008-04-11T11:47:00.002-04:00

Go here now... make $25. Refer someone and when they sign up, make $10. Money Saving Methods has it right, refer your spouse and make $60 for the family in just 2 minutes!

Edit/Update: I signed up and then referred Wally. He transferred the $25 to me that he got for singing up so now I have $60 just waiting to be deposited in my checking account. How great is that??

What I really like about this company as well are their security questions. It's not a matter of just signing in... you have to go through one more step and I feel that is more secure. They are extending the free $25 until May 15th. Hurry hurry hurry and sign up Now!