My baby is 3!!!

My little Lyndee turned 3 on Monday! I can't believe it...seems like yesterday we were finally able to bring out little 4 lb. 14 oz 8 day old baby home from the hospital!




We had a Dora/Diego party on Sunday with family and a few friends! I got her a pink shirt (which of course I monogrammed) and a cute orange skirt so she could be Dora!

I did a cupcake tree with Dora rings on top, we made yellow bracelets like Dora with pony beads, and all Lyndee cared about was presents presents presents!!



Here is her opening a few of them with the help of her cousin Whitney, friend Ella, and her Nana


She got tons of goodies including some PJs for her "Hello Kitty" (technically mine that the kids got me for Mother's Day but she's taken it over)
Here is a pic with her in her new PJs along with Hello Kitty on her birthday eve!



Here are the favor bags I made for all the girls (Parker was the only boy there and he was too cool for monogramming

Fun was had by all and now I have to work on Parker's 8th birthday party which is in 6 weeks....whew

Birthday weekend

My little girl turns 3 on Monday! I can't believe it. I honestly feel like she was just in my tummy!
We are having a Dora/Diego party (shocker I know) and she's getting the concept a little! We have been singing Happy Birthday all week and she blows "out the candles" at the end of the song. Also we have been practicing saying thank you after each present. She kept going to get some of her presents out of the closet (my oh so smart hiding place) so I had to go ahead and wrap everything and they have been on top of the entertainment center since. She keeps pointing them them saying "mine". So she kind of knows what's going on!
We are having the family that is in town and then one of our good friends with 3 girls that Lyndee adores over for the party! Small and sweet but has to be that way in our little house! Which reminds me I should be cleaning the house "company worthy" yes there is a difference in cleaning levels....instead of sitting here typing!

Menu Planning Monday

Well it's Monday again...time to post the menu Get many more MPMs here

Monday - Chicken N Dumplins
I have never made these before but thought I would try! I am using this Cracker Barrel recipe so I will let everyone know how it turns out! This is a family fav so I better not screw it up!

Tuesday - Steaks with Potatoes and Green Beans CROCKPOT NIGHT
I am using some more of those "free mini steaks from Schwann's" but this time in the crockpot.

Wednesday - Dinner at my parent's house (finger foods..yes it's a pun)
It's a surprise dinner for my dad...it's the anniversary of him having two fingers amputated (long story I will get into some other time) and he jokes on the 12th of every month about where is his card or anniversary present so now for the one year anniversary my sister and I are surprising him with an anniversary party!! If you know my family, especially my dad, you will totally understand this whole thing!

Thursday - Sausage Roll Pizza and salads
Get a french bread loaf (I use the one in the can or make dough in my breadmaker)
Cook sausage (you can also use pepperoni, ground beef, whatever other pizza topping you like) Drain.
Mix in a bag of shredded mozzerella cheese, fresh parsley and a handful of bread crumbs...mix until cheese is melted then on the laid out bread dough scoop mixture down the middle then ROLL the dough! Cook according to regular bread instructions

Friday - Chicken Parm Sandwiches baked french fries
Cook Chicken Patties put on a bun topped with cheese and tomato sauce
Couldn't be easier

Saturday - breakfast
Pancakes and turkey bacon

Sunday - My little Lyndee's 3rd birthday party is today! Haven't figured out dinner yet!

Hope everyone has a great week!! I have been busy as heck trying to get everything ready to start homechooling next week!! On top of throwing a birthday party Sunday and getting the house ready!

Getting Back in the swing of School things

This weekend is tax free here in Tennessee for Back to School stuff!
I have gone through everything seeing what all we need for the school year! The only big thing I need to buy is a dry erase board! I didn't buy one last year since we started the school year in the middle and just went with what we had but I think it's going to be a big help and lots of fun to be able to write spelling words, practice math etc...
Also Office Max is doing some great specials (as is everywhere else) I am going today to get some 1 cent Sharpies 12 cent rulers and 5 cent folders and notebooks!
Gotta love those deals!

Monday......

This is getting repetitive lately since I haven't been posting much besides MPMs but still I am getting those done! woohoo
Getting everything ready for a new year of homeschooling so we have been busy!

Here's what I am cooking this week! Check out tons more menu planning ideas here


Monday - Frito Chili Pie
My hubby lived in Texas for a few years so this is one of his favorites! I always make a double batch of chili and freeze half so this is a QUICK meal! Just reheat chili, put fritos in the bottom of the bowl, add chili, and top with cheese (I usually put a dallop of sour cream on mine if I have some on hand)

Tuesday - Pineapple Chicken Broccoli
Crockpot Tuesday..everyone should know this by now! I love crockpot cooking
Put chicken in crockpot top with teriakyi sauce and crushed pineapple in a can and viola!

Wednesday - Brats, corn, and green beans (mini corn dogs for the kids)
Grilling out Bratwursts on the grill, then doing some cajun corn/green beans and baking some mini corn dogs for the kids since they aren't thrilled with brats to quote my son "this is a funky tasting hot dog"

Thursday - Taco Night and refried beans
Ground turkey tacos with all the fixins

Friday - Steaks baked potatoes
I got these mini steaks free from Schwann's since they were doing a new customer $10 coupon so steaks were delievered to my front door and I owed .08 cents tax! That's a frugal meal!!

Saturday - breakfast
quick, easy, crowd favorite

Sunday - dinner at the inlaws

Hope everyone has a great week!!

Just another Manic Monday

Crazy busy summer so far I hope we are staying home chilling quite a bit this week! We are doing a few fun things with friends but I think the kids and I all need a calm relaxing week!

It's time to plan the menu (totally had a time to make the donuts flash as I typed that) Get tons more recipes at one of my favorite websites


Monday - hamburgers baked french fries
nuff said nothing special just burgers on the grill but yummy all the same

Tuesday - Chef Salads
Chop up lettuce, boil some eggs, cook some bacon, and set out all the other fun toppings

Wednesday - Chicken Lo Mein
spaghetti and chicken cooked in teriakyi sauce (I usually sneak in some stir fry veggies)

Thursday - Bread Bowl with soups
I make the dough in the bread machine!
I usually warm up some frozen chili for Jeff and do a can of broccoli cheese soup (adding more cheddar and broccoli of course) then Campbell's character soups I got on sale for the kids

Friday - Hot Dogs mac n cheese
Nuff said on this one too except that I used that free Oscar Meyers pack of hot dogs coupon so yay!!

Saturday - going out with my hubby
See previous post about him winning us concert tickets

Sunday - leftovers or might be going to the in laws I can't keep straight which weeks we go!

my sweet hubby

My hubby Jeff called me from work this morning to tell me to call my parents about babysitting the kids Saturday night. I asked why (of course) and he said he just won us two tickets to the Donnas/Blondie/Pat Benatar concert here in Memphis this weekend!
I was shocked I honestly hadn't even heard the concert was coming to town I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Donnas and the other two ladies ROCK! A local radio show he listens to every morning at work was giving away tickets and just asked for emails why you wanted the tickets! Jeff wrote a SWEET email to them saying why I deserved them!
Here is the email:

Good morning gentlemen. I'm writing to do my begging for the Pat/
Blondie/ Donnas tickets. My wife is a huge Blondie and The Donnas fan.
I'd love to take her to the concert. She's the hardest working person
I know, with the worst pay. Being a stay at home mom who homeschools
our 2 kids isn't a life I'd want to take on. I'm happy to work to
afford us this life. Spending doesn't allow a lot of extra money so
buying tickets isn't in the budget. She also keeps our money on track
and she won't let me cheat a little to buy tickets. If you'd consider
me, I'd really appreciate it and you'd be making my wife very happy.

Have a great day fellas

I will be sure to update how the concert was but I am even more excited for this FREE (besides paying for parking) night out with my hubby!

Monday Monday Monday

It's Monday again well technically it's Tuesday since it's 1 am as I type this! Jeff took a vacation day today so we had a jam packed day of family fun including the zoo!
So now I am all off on my days of the week so I am late posting this!
Here is what I am making this week!



Monday - Chicken Parmesan
same recipe I do for spaghetti except I coat the chicken in Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese then bake and serve on top of the spaghetti

Tuesday - White beans and cornbread
soak beans overnight then cook in the crockpot with 1/2 fresh water and 1/2 chicken broth to cover the beans. Then I throw in some chopped up bacon and serve with cornbread

Wednesday - Smoked Sausage with cabbage

Thursday - Pineapple Chicken with brown rice
my easy chicken/teriakyi sauce, crushed pineapple in the crockpot recipe
***I was supposed to do this recipe last week but turned out I was out of teriakyi sauce so I did a BBQ chicken***

Friday - homemade pizza

Saturday - taco bar
ground turkey with taco seasoning and all the fixins

Sunday - dinner at the in laws


Hope everyone has a great week!! We actually have nothing going on this week! After VBS, two weeks of swim lessons, and then Parker having Crossfire camp last week it's nice to just have a chill week! We are still hanging out with friends and doing some fun stuff but nothing we HAVE to go do!

it's Mondayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

It's that time of the week again

Get TONS more menu planning ideas/tips/recipes here


Monday - Chicken Pot Pie
made it with real pie crust not just biscuits on top!

(crockpot) Tuesday - Pork chops Potatoes carrots
All in the crockpot cooked in chicken broth and salt/pepper
Cut up potatoes put in crockpot with carrots, add chicken broth up to the top of the veggies then place seasoned pork chops on top!

Wednesday - Breakfast (pancakes, turkey bacon, and maybe some scrambled eggs)
quick easy cheap and a family favorite!!

Thursday - Spaghetti
nuff said

Friday - Pizza
Homemade everyone thrown on their own toppings

Saturday - Meatball subs
My son LOVES and begs for these now

Sunday - dinner at the in-laws

I just realized typing all this that we are like having an Italian themed end of the week!!

Funny Websites that make me giggle

There have recently been a bunch of "people's mistakes" type websites go up and they make me giggle! I know it's not good to laugh at the misery of other's but if you are in need of a chuckle check some of these out


Awkward Family Photos

Cake Wrecks

Craft Fail