FREE Diamond Stud Earrings Anyone???

I spend WAY too much time bloghopping. . . but sometimes it pays off! Check out THIS GIVEAWAY & you could win free diamond stud earrings!!! Or you could win them & give them to me! Just in case you're reading this thru the note on Facebook. . .it's www.aordinarylife.com for the blog. . .you might have to scroll down. . .

Jennifer B

Checklist

This will be random ~ so you've been forewarned. . .

• HOLY Motherload of Tutorials! Go here! No kidding. . . Lots of links. Again, why sleep when you can blog hop & get lots of ideas floating thru your mind???
• I have some finished projects that I plan to snap a pic of tonight & post to Peeky Boos. . . so be sure to check back later. {At this point - kids are fed & not causing bodily harm to one another yet. . . but Scott is out of commission with the pukey sickies so I'm on my own}
• Still have to shop for My Mom & Dad ~ What the heck to get for people who basically go out & buy whatever they want or need for themselves right away? I'm going to have to get creative here. . . I have ideas. .
• Some shopping to do for the meal ~ which I'm hosting ~ yeah - me. . . 'nuf said!
• Cleaning lady comes tomorrow. . . so I have to clean for her tonight. . crazy how that works!
• HAVE to finish teachers' gifts tonight. . . daycare gifts will wait until next week. . . that's OK, right?
• I'm totally sold on Young Living Essential Oils! Love them! My house smells so nice.
• Time to go finish stuff. . .remember - check Peeky Boos later. . .

Jennifer B

One with the Music

Have you ever heard a song & then couldn't get enough of it? That's how I am. . . I take a song in & kind of become one with it. . . can't get enough of it. That's how the song "Come on Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson is for me right now. . . He performs it & Sugarland also has recorded their version on their Deluxe Fan Edition of their new album. LOVE this song! It's mesmerizing to me. Another song that has done this for me in the past. . . Nickelback's Far Away. You can listen to these songs on Playlist.com . . . here's my playlist: http://view.playlist.com/11061444107/standalone I think you can access it from here . .

Go now ~ Be One with the Music!

Jennifer B

Yup, no title. . . couldn't remember how to make one up. Oh, could that be because I have SO MUCH to do that I'm doing NOTHING???? Yup, could be. I'm a great ProCrastinaTor!!! Thank you very much. . . .

I would love to tell you that my Christmas shopping is done, that my decorations are up, that my tree is even purchased. . .let alone up, that my baking is at least planned & that my meal is delagated for Christmas brunch. . . but I can't lie. . . none of it is done. And what am I doing? Blog surfing.
Hey, I AM done applying to Grad School. It is up to the Admissions Committee at Gonzaga (think Basketball) University as to whether I will begin my Masters in Nursing this January. Actually, they are still probably waiting to hear what miserable score I got on my MAT. (BTW, that test is just downright silly. How does that test help to determine how well I will do teaching prospective nursing students? It's the 21st Century, people!)
I have a date tonight! We go out together monthly, time permitting. Tonight is the night. We have a gift card to Gratzies ~ and I've never been there. We usually go out & come home after the babysitter has gotten the boys to bed. Hey, if we're going to pay a sitter. . .they may as well do the big bedtime task, right?
Scott is going to the Packer game tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some of my crafy Christmas gifts at least worked on then??? Yeah, probably not. . . Don't know what the weather holds. . .but it's bound to be FRIGID which means the boys will be inside & seeking entertainment. I can attempt some craftiness. .. but it will more than likely be interrupted. That's OK. We do love watching the game together.

So, I hope to get a few crafted/sewn items completed for gifts. I love the crowns, capes & super hero ideas for my youngest & my nephew. My niece needs a new dolly blanket. My MIL might get a quilt IF I can get it done by then. . .otherwise, she might end up getting that for Mother's Day. Which reminds me, MY OWN MOTHER should probably get one for then too. I would also LOVE to get a quilt done for each of my boys during the next year. Do you think I can pull that off? Hmmm. . . we'll see. I really like the idea of having them help in some way. Oh, did I mention that I'd like to paint the boys' rooms sometime too? They have just beige walls & it's so boring. Maybe I'll call on the Manic mood. . . (no, I'm not bipolor) so I can get things done. I have high hopes. . .but not a very good plan. I need to plan for all of this. Then I'll get it done. . .right?. . .right....
I'm going to make a list right now. . . if only I could find my desk. . . .

Everything Your Mama Made Blog

I found this blog today while procrastinating ~ (lots of laundry to fold & put away) ~ and it has a TON of links for things that I will probably have to check out & maybe try. This isn't going to help my desire to get adequate sleep. . .but oh well! Check it out if you have time ~ or if you just want to procrastinate from your Mt. Laundry:)

Jennifer B

SALE & giveaways!

>

This is a cool new little shop & it has LOADS of awesome fabric & patterns & fabric & patterns. . . sorry, I'm still drooling because I just did a little "Santa" shopping for myself:) Gotta love that! Go check it out. 25% off is a great bargain!!!

Jennifer B

If I see one more word verification.. .

it will be ONE too many! I spent a good part of last night checking out all of the awesome giveaways offered by Sew, Mama, Sew blog. HOLY CRAP People!!! This was FUN but also a LOT of work to click here & there & everywhere. All I can say is HOLY CRAP the talent that exists is INCREDIBLE! I've been inspired! Now I need to go back to a few of the blogs for more inspiration & ideas. We are truly blessed to have so much information at our fingertips.

I have TONS of laundry to do. Note to self: buy better night time diapers for the potty trainer! I feel like I've been washing bedding all week! Oh, that's right! I HAVE been! For the LOVE!!!

To all of you who hit every link in the giveaway, foregoing sleep - I'm with ya! Tired & reaching for the extra coffee servings today. Now I must go find my son. . . . he is somewhere amidst the laundry that needs to be folded & put away.

Have a GREAT ONE!!!

Jennifer B

Keen Footwear Giveaway!

I have a pair of Keen sandals & let me tell you. . .the ROCK for comfort. Well worth the investment! Go Here to enter a giveaway to win a free pair of Keen footwear.

Jennifer

Running Naked

Got your attention! No, not me running naked. . . the 3 year old. . . better? OK now. . . Has it been an entire WEEK already? Holy cow. . .after the Chinese Food mishap last Thursday many of you may have wondered about my safety. .or sanity for that matter. I'm here. I'm fine. Blog hopping & entering giveaways like crazy. I've been staying up WAY past bedtime working on various projects & surfing the Internet. . . blog hopping really. Oh, & cramming for my MAT - which is later today.

So MUCH happens in a day, let alone an entire WEEK! Let me give you the run down:

• worked full shift last Friday
• Saturday - Event FILLED day. . . friend's baby shower - showed up & found out she (Melanie) already HAD the baby early Tuesday morning - 6 weeks early! Plus, her mother is not well - please pray for JUDY & her family. Time is precious - don't take it for granted.
• Card making Saturday evening - WHAT a GREAT creative release! Of course, I was addicted to being creative & dreamed of possibilities. . .sleep was not easy.
• Sunday - attended new Church we're considering switching to. I won't go into detail here. . .but we think we've found a new HOME for Celebration.
• Watched Packer game from home while creating MORE CARDS!!! See, once I begin there is NO STOPPING me!
• Been playing a lot of the Mexican Train Game with the boys. . . this is an EXCELLENT game with Dominoes. . .yes. . . DOMINOES!!! Very fun & family friendly.
• Monday - worked on a quilting project. . .not too many details here. . .it's a gift as long as I get it done before Christmas!!!
• Tuesday - called OFF of work - On CALL 12 hours. . .which bites the big one as FIRST callback.
• Wednesday - purchased Spencer's birthday present - his family party is this Saturday.
• Scott worked late so I was the single parent last night. . .
• Stayed up WAY too late again. . . so I'm tired today. . . & that's not good because the house is trashed & the MAT is this afternoon. . .not to mention Parent/Teacher conferences tonight. Downing COFFEE as we speak!

Wish me LUCK!

Jennifer B Y

What was I thinking?????

I must have been having a case of the "Nobody wants to go to lunch with me" blues. . . (My big sister had lunch plans with her DH & my DH was already having his lunch. . .OK, so 2 people isn't' everyone. .. .I digress) I veered off the highway & stopped at a Chinese food place. . .not to be named to protect the seemingly innocent. . . Crab Rangoon call my name. . .I can't help it, they just do. And I COULD have just ordered those & been done with it. . .but NO, I have to order one of the "Lunch Specials." I order the Chicken with Mixed Vegetables -white rice instead of the pork fried rice. I then proceed to play catch with the owner's 5 year old son who told me I was "cute." (What a sweetie. I didn't even pay him for that unsolicited compliment:) Did I ask if they made their food with NO MSG??? NO, of course not. That would have been too easy! I guess I just hoped they did. . .

After playing catch with the boy for less than 10 minutes my food was ready & I was on my way. Got to the van & tore open the bag to get those crab Rangoon out pronto. Of course, they were piping hot & I burned the roof of my mouth on one. My bad. . .duh, fresh from the fryer!!! But does that stop me from eating them ALL before getting home? Nope.

Get home & think to myself, "Self, you're already full. Do you really need to open the entree?" I must be ignoring my body as I didn't even wait for a response. . .I just opened the container & took a couple of fork fulls. . . OK, the sauce on this stuff was pretty dark looking. . . PLUS, it was saturated in it. I should have trusted my first instinct to NOT eat it. But, again, must be having a brain malfunction today. . .I ate some anyway. I walked away for a few minutes to respond to some email. You know, let the food settle so I could shovel more in??? Well, not even 10 minutes after the few bites I took. . . . .I'm feeling queasy. For those of you that had morning sickness with pregnancy. . it's kind of like that. . . you think to yourself, "Man, I could vomit. I don't especially want to. . .but if I bent over the porcelain throne right now I most definitely would." Sorry for the details there. . .

And I feel kind of like I could fall over in a heap & sleep. Seriously, my arms are weak & my eyelids are heavy. My mouth feels funny. . .is that just the numbness from burning my mouth? Crap! Am I having an allergic reaction? Nah! I'm just anxious about it now. . . great! All I need now is a panic attack. I can hear it already, "Woman calls 911 after freaking out over eating Chinese food." But I do suppose I could be experiencing some food sensitivity issues. I am VERY sensitive to MSG. That's why the "I'm a dingbat" sign should be emblazoned onto my chest right now. Well, if I survive. .. I'll let you know later. . .

Self Examination

Have you ever looked inside yourself trying to figure out what you want to do with your life? I'm guessing most of us have. Looking back at all of the "things" I have already done. . . I can't help but remember back to kindergarten when we were asked to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up. There was nothing in the world that I wanted to be more than a MOMMY! No kidding. And look! I've done that. And I continue to do that. And that, in & of itself, is the best & most fulfilling job in the world. . . . still, I wonder what I will be when I grow up. . . IF I grow up.

One of the wonderful things about motherhood is that it does allow for you to take on "side careers." Of course, if we were monetarily compensated for all that a mother does we wouldn't need these "side careers." But I digress.

I am exploring adding grad school to my life so that I may someday teach people to become nurses. I LOVE BEING A NURSE. Why would I want to do something else? Well, Lori J, a very intelligent nursing instructor that I know & work with, stated it best: "As a staff/floor nurse I can only affect the lives of the few patients I take care of on any given day. As a teacher I can teach many to affect the lives of so many more patients." that may not be an exact quote. . .but I loved it. I had these thoughts before & just didn't articulate them. As a nurse, I want to fix the world! I want every patient to be taken care of as well as I take care of them. Unfortunately, that cannot always happen. I would like to believe that all nurses take excellent care of their patients at all times. But I live in reality. And I also know that just because I do things one way & another nurse does it another way. . .that they can both be good ways. With that said, some nurses do things not taking into consideration the WHOLE PERSON. In my opinion, if you don't consider the whole person (body, soul, spirit) then you are not doing as good of a job. I want to teach THAT to nursing students. THAT is my secondary passion!

So, now that you know what I want to be secondary to Mommy. . . . what do YOU want to be? I'd love to hear about it. . .

Red Barn Quilt Giveaway!!!

Check this out! Quilt Giveaway!!! You just HAVE to go here. Enter this giveaway:) Then give me the quilt when you win:)

Camille is having a Giveaway!!!!

OMG! YOU do NOT want to miss this giveaway!!!!! Camille Roskelly, creator of Thimble Blossoms & designer of Cotton Blossoms(PDF file), is giving away one of her FANTASTIC quilts!!!! Of course, I NEED to win. . .so go ahead & enter & then just gift it to me :) By the way, Camille is the designer of the BLOOM quilt pattern that I have posted over at Peekyboos. Isn't she fantastic? And her fabric. . . . I had to wipe the drool from my face. .. time for me to go have my bedtime snack!

FREE 8 X 10 AT walgreens.com

Check it out! A FREE 8 X 10??? Yes, it's true! Go to Walgreens.com & in the coupon code area type in FREEPIC & there you have it! A free 8 x 10! Happy Holidays!

Here's the picture I am getting. . .what a cutie!

****FORGOT TO MENTION. . .THIS IS ONLY GOOD THROUGH TODAY!!! THE 8TH!!!! SO HURRY UP WITH IT ANYWAY!!!

SIMPLE MOM EPSON PRINTER GIVEAWAY!!!

A day of giveaways in so many places!!! SIMPLE MOM IS GIVING AWAY A WAY COOL EPSON PRINTER!!! So go here now. . .

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Tropical Tree Frog Costume GIVEAWAY!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!! This is a gender neutral costume & it's absolutely adorable! Go there. . . enter - and then when you win, gift it to me:) Gotta try. .. .

Class Reunion Picture

Thank you, Tonya, for reminding me that I haven't posted a picture of my Class reunion. . . and I can hardly believe it myself, but I only took ONE PICTURE!! I got too busy talking - again, I know, hard to believe! So here is the lone picture. And I will say right away, I'm not pleased with the angle I'm positioned. My loving husband isn't so spectacular at composing pictures. . .so I'll forgive him. I need to teach him to help make me look better than the other people in the picture! Tee hee. On this picture is Me, Patty C., Megan N., Kurt R., & Tom H. I wish I had taken more pictures. It was great to see everyone. I think there were a little over 30 classmates in all that attended. Which is pretty darn good considering the total class was under 80 students.

Much to do today. I didn't even turn my computer on here since Sunday! My house is very messy. Laundry. . . I'm very afraid! And my grad school application is sitting in cyber space awaiting my attention. I need more coffee. . . .

Become a Friend of George

Just go Here, read about George & purchase a nifty downloadable cookbook for just $1.00. This story touched my heart. Let's all hope & pray for a big change in our nation's "sick care" system.

In need of some MOTIVATION, please. . .

I beg you. . . if you have any to spare, could you please, pretty please with sugar on top, ship some motivation on over to me? I had today pretty much free to get some stuff done. . .well, what you can get done with a 3 year old Power Ranger/Ninja/Spiderman along for the ride. Oh, and maybe I should mention that our well pump decided to kick the bucket after my shower this morning. . . (Thank goodness I got that shower in!) So I guess I should go a little easy on myself considering I had to deal with the well guy coming over a couple of times to get it all taken care of. . . BUT I didn't even get the laundry that was dried already folded & put away. I also didn't bother to even attempt to organize all of the accumulated junk in my office. . . or the fabric & clothing in need of makeovers that are in here. The dishwasher??? Yup, still full of CLEAN dishes. So is the dish rack next to the sink. . .just sitting there all clean & dry & ready to be put away.

It did SNOW today here in De Pere, WI. YUP, you read that correctly. No accumulation of course. . .but it snowed. Is that my excuse? NOPE!

I did schedule to take my MAT so I can apply for grad school. Now I'm thinking I should move that date up a bit as I will be cutting it close.

OH, and did I mention that I had a puking 8 year old this morning? SURE! THAT'S my excuse! Yeah, right. . .he made a quick recovery & Scott dropped him off at school by noon. But that could have set my day off a little drained. Not to mention the 3 year old was in my bed WAY prior to sunrise this morning & we all know how well that goes over. . .

So I decided to brew some more coffee. HOLY CRUD! IT'S SNOWING AGAIN!! SIDEWAYs. . . so I guess those bulbs that I wanted to finish planting won't get in the ground anymore this season. . . There is hope for later this week if our temperatures rise I guess. Does anyone know???? If the sun is shining when it snows is there still a rainbow?

Off to get some of that coffee. .. and procrastinate some more. . .

First Friend Birthday Party a Success!

I'm a cool Mom!!! Spencer told me on Friday night that I'm the best Mom in the world. Oh, and that he was going to remember it. . . love that! The reason behind this was due to these little guys. I made bean bags for his party.

After all of the Plan B preparations due to a forecast of rain & downright dismal weather. . . we didn't truly need the bean bags. But they were fun anyway. Spencer had a fantastic time. He's the 2nd from the right. Carter is in the red Power Ranger costume & Parker decided not to pose for this picture. He was busy playing bean bags in the garage.