Peek at My Paper

Welcome JunkintheTrunkTrio Followers!!

2011-10-26T16:39:00.001-07:00

My name is Brenda. That’s me there to the right ------------------------------------>

and this is Julia Wood ---->

Julia, our friend Ashley, and I, painted Julia’s dining room recently. It wasn’t just paint –it is CHEVRON! (a pinterest-inspired project) Peek at the Chevron Wall project HERE!

The girls at JunkintheTrunkTrio invited their followers to post some pinterest-inspired projects on their Facebook wall, and they were then going to pick a winner. So Julia posted our Chevron Project – and the girls at JunkintheTrunkTrio liked it so much, Julia WON!! They offered to write up her creativeness on their blog. THANKS JUNKINTHETRUNKTRIO!! and that is probably why you are visiting……... :) welcome.

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Julia has a shop on ETSY called woodsWhimzies and you definitely should check it out! She is very crafty and has some unique items for sale.

You can also follow the woodsWhimzies creativeness on Facebook – HERE.

Follow PeekatMyPaper on Facebook – HERE.

Follow PeekatMyPaper on Twitter – HERE.

together we like to craft and decorate and talk and giggle and be silly…. We are excited to be holding our very 1st Craft Fair on November 19th where we will be selling many of our favorite crafts and home decor items. Wanna see what we will be selling? Check out this Post to see some of our stuff! If you live in Phoenix – come and visit us!!!

and while you are here – take a peek around our blog!

brenda & julia

Our Pinterest Projects Revealed

2011-10-26T16:12:00.001-07:00

Julia and I LOVE Pinterest. We Pin Everyday.

WE PIN and PIN and then CREATE and WE LOVE IT!

Here are some of our Pinterest – Inspired Works of Art – with Links!:

just click the picture to create one for yourself!

and these aren’t on Pinterest yet – but we love them and will be selling them at our Craft Sale on November 19th! or you can buy them on ETSY - here.

and there will be many more to come!

Letter Wall

2011-10-26T08:47:00.001-07:00

Remember my post the other day when I wrote about THE BEST BABY SHOWER EVER!! Each guest decorated a letter and gave it to Ashley at the shower as her gift.

Well, Ashley got the letters on the wall just in time for her baby to arrive! The wall turned out Fabulous! and the best part is… all the letters are from people who love her! What a great gift!

Chevron Wall Makeover

2011-10-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

Julia’s wall was yellow.

She saw a Chevron wall on Pinterest and was immediately inspired – she called me and asked how hard it would be to paint chevron stripes on her dining room wall.

Ha – are you kidding, I would LOVE it. And with a bit of jealousy…. we taped and painted. It was so easy. So, so easy.

First we decided how wide we wanted the chevrons by placing tape on the wall and standing back to look at them. We weren’t very particular about it fitting perfectly from end to end on the wall, so we just started. We did measure the distance from the edge of the wall to the top of the point, decided we wanted 10” wide chevrons and then made marks on the wall every 10” up the wall.

We used a level to make sure the bottom points were level. Then we measured the distance from bottom point to bottom point – and repeated the angles from top point to top point and bottom point to bottom point across the wall.

I taped while Julia painted. Our friend Ashley, who was pregnant at the time – was there for support and kept telling us how great the wall looked. She also helped pass the level, exacto and more tape!

We used an exacto knife to cut the tape at the points to make them a sharp edge.

and we repeated the pattern all the way to the floor.

Pulled off the tape – and tahdah! The finished Product…

Now – Julia, which wall are we doing chevron on in my house? :)

good day friends!

brenda

Only the Best Baby Shower Ever!

2011-10-24T15:49:00.001-07:00

Not to brag, but yes, I want to brag! – Julia and I hosted a baby shower for our friend Ashley last month. This was absolutely the best shower I have been to – even above my own!

We started planning 2 months before the event.

It gave good reason for Julia to do some work on her home. And gave us some good reason to get crafting on some baby projects.

We sent out invitations a month before the shower. The invitation required an RSVP, and with the RSVP, each person was assigned a letter. They were to decorate the letter as they wish as a gift for Ashley at the shower. It was going to be a collection of the alphabet for her to hang on the baby’s bedroom wall.

A couple of friends asked if they could plan the games – and they did such a great job! It was refreshing to get away from the traditional baby games (candy bar in the diaper, guess the baby food). We played 4 minute to win it games. The ladies were broken into 4 teams of 4 ladies. Those ladies came up with a team name. One person from each team volunteered to do the challenge before they knew what the task was going to be - then they showed us how to play the game. We did "the cookie monster" - one player at a time, move the Oreo down your face from forehead to mouth without using your hands. (we got the most laughs during this game) The person with the most Oreos landing in their mouth in one minute wins. "Post Partum Blues" – Someone holds a full box of tissue and with one hand you have to pull tissue from the box until empty. And there was a couple more – you can probably come up with some similar games if you are interested in playing this at your next baby shower. There was a scoreboard to keep track of who was winning the games. The team with the most wins – won THE GRAND PRIZE!! a 100 Grand Candy bar for each of them.

The food was easy and amazing! We decided to have the shower at 7pm, which saved us time and money preparing food for the party. All we had was a HUGE dessert table – and most of the guests offered to bring something, so we really didn’t have to bake anything at all.

Enough with my chatter – Here are some of our favorite pictures…

The Room!

The Dessert Table – in Julia’s dining room. More on that Chevron wall to come…

Games!

and the WINNERS!

Gift Table

The Collection of letters and Gifts

Drinks!

Guests! – Julia, Ashley (our Pregnant Friend) and Me. As you can see only the 3 of us are silly enough to make fools of ourselves for a photo!

It seriously was the BEST SHOWER EVER!!

Some GRAND News!

2011-10-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have been MIA for many months.

I miss you all… I do!

and I have been wanting to come back to the Blog World. A few things have changed in my life over the past few months. I stopped my job as the “crossing guard” and “lunch lady” at the local school. :( I really liked that job, but a friend introduced me to another job, with similar hours and more money!

couldn’t pass that up.

but what I have found is that I keep taking on more hours, which leaves less time to blog. :( I have continued crafting, and my Project Life book, of course. And I have so much stuff to share with you.

The BIG NEWS being, I have a new friend!

Isn’t she pretty? This is the only photo I have of her – it was her birthday picture a few months ago.

HER NAME IS JULIA!

SHE’S so FABULOUSLY CRAFTY!! and she wants to help me with the blog!! and she wants me to say Hi to all of YOU for her.

So stay tuned…. here comes some of the fun stuff we’ve been up to….

Old Baseball Jersey Curtain Panels

2011-05-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

I have been busy decorating!

A friend of mine recently asked me to do a makeover on her son’s bedroom. He is no longer that “little” boy and needed a room he can grow up to young adulthood in. He loves sports and like most boys – loves to hang posters and memorabilia all over his walls. Jana gave me a stack of old sports/baseball jerseys and asked me to do something creative with them.

Here is my solution…

It is basically 2 black curtain panels that I directly sewed the shirts on to.

I cut the shirts into 12” squares and laid them out on the panels. I pinned them on before taking them to the sewing machine. Then I simply straight stitched them on. Leaving the edges rough and everything.

The panel was too short for the window – so I bought an 18” strip of red fabric and sewed that on to add length.

I love the way they turned out… looks like I will be making these for my son as well!

And other Highlights of the bedroom….

Chalkboard Painted Closet Doors! and a shelf above to hold all his trophies.

Faux paneling on the bottom half of the wall with a bold red stripe above!

On the opposite wall – We made a huge bulletin board for him to hang all of his photos, posters, and memorabilia.

Thanks for stopping by today!

bren

A Need to Breathe

2011-05-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

I admit it… I have been MIA and left you all hanging for months. It’s not that I didn’t think about you all, as a matter of fact, I kept wanting to post things – just have been a bit overwhelmed with life!

Overwhelmed in a great way! nothing bad.. thank goodness.

I did end up leaving my crosswalk and lunch lady job. I loved that job. :) A friend of mine introduced me to a marketing position that I ended up accepting. It is only a couple of days a week and pays more than I was making for a whole week of work at school. So, I went for it. On my days off, I still found time to stop by the cafeteria to say hello to the kids. I love going in to see them… most of them are excited to see me too.

So, I have been busy adjusting to my new work schedule, learning the ropes, and also super busy with the kids – finishing up the school year, and their sporting events.

I am happy to say – I can breathe! and i have some extra time to write to you and show you some of the really fun things I have been working on! :)

SCHOOL is OUT for summer! This is my POTD (picture of the day) for last Thursday. The last day of school!!

And we spent our first day of the Summer Break… chillin’ at the pool.

I am very excited to show you some of the kool projects I have been up to. I HAVE been busy keeping up with my creativeness! :) including Project Life!

Love ya!

Bren

iPhone Creativeness!

2011-02-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about the new Verizon iPhone! I have been waiting and waiting.... and finally - It's in my hands! :) (i just can't put it down)

and today - I was surfing through some my favorite blogs.... and I came across this wonderfulness...

Amy has some great stuff on her blog Living Locurto
She posted the most adorable Printable Valentines LOTS & LOTS of different valentines - but this one, aaaah, was PERFECT.....

Ha! How cute is this? You print the valentine and wrap it around a box of candy hearts!

The front, sides and back - all look like the real iPhone!

so super cute!

click HERE to go to visit Living Locurto & download your free printable iPhone Valentine!

My kids want an iPhone so bad - yeah, keep dreaming.... but I will definitely be giving them this on Valentine's Day.

i'm such a mean mom.

:)

bren

Free Photography Class

2011-02-01T13:26:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine recently told me of a FREE Photography Class given by

Willette Photography & More entitled:

It STARTS TODAY! February 1st and runs for the FULL month!

Sounds like a ton of fun to me!

This is what Willette says you can expect from this JOY class:

a daily email during the month of february
the email will contain a photo idea and occasional tips
a public flickr gallery to share photos
an album template download at the end for all of your photos you take during the class
a journey to help you document your loved one(s) – whether it is a spouse, partner, child, pet, parent or friend

and guess what…….

she’s a fellow Project Lifer! :) A++

HOPE YOU WILL JOIN ME!

bren

CSN GIVEAWAY - How about a Doorbell?

2011-01-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!

*******************************************************

I just LOVE Giveaways! – CSN stores recently contacted me and offered to give one of my Lucky Followers a $35 Gift Credit from their site! They have so many fabulous things on their website. Things from cookware to SWINGSETS to pet supplies.

It is always so hard for me to choose something from their site - there so many great options. But If I were to win this giveaway I would pick something I wouldn't normally buy myself.

YOU MAY THINK THIS IS FUNNY BUT.... I would LOVE to have a NEW DOORBELL BUTTON!!

Of all the things.... a NEW Doorbell?

Well, this is the one we have now:

and this is what it could be:

A DOORBELL MAKEOVER is definitely necessary at my House!!

Maybe you would want one too!!

This giveaway is actually a $35 Gift Credit for you to purchase anything you want from their site. You can peek around at their site HERE - CSNStores.com

So go ahead and leave me a comment - just tell me something you would love to have that you normally wouldn't buy yourself - and you will be entered to win!

and if you want to enter again

like me on FACEBOOK - leave me another comment telling me you did!
Become a Friend on Google Friend Connect and leave me another message telling me you did!

Giveaway Ends - Friday January 28th at Midnight!

Good LUCK to You!! I hope you Win! :)

bren

Week in Pics: The Start of a New Year!

2011-01-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Here we go....Each week on Tuesday, I post my pictures of the day from the previous week. The concept is from Becky Higgins (I love her) – and you need to check out her blog HERE! She created Project Life = A Picture a Day for a whole Year.
I am a little behind with my Project Life posts - so here is a bunch of photos to get you caught up. This year I am doing things a little differently. I decided to not include the day of the week on the photo itself, and also to add some black and white images as well. Hope you enjoy these photos of My Project Life!
Jan 1 - Read the Bible in One Year! My Goal of 2011!! :)

Jan 2 - Project Life Party at my friend Rachael's House - we all got the kit and worked late into the evening putting the pages together. :) Thanks Rachael!

Jan 4 - The View from my Craft Room!

Jan 5 - Project Life Party at Becky Higgins' House. Was so excited to get invited to her house, got to meet other neighborhood Project Lifers and see Becky's Office!

Jan 6 - Was recently introduced to "Nothing Bundt Cakes". A franchise bakery that makes the most delicious Bundts! My family is addicted. We stop there every time we are in Scottsdale. Our favorites are the Red Velvet, the Chocolate Chocolate Chip and the Cinnamon! YUM!

Jan 7 - I call this photo "Fall-ish" It is the middle of winter, but in Arizona we get fall-like temperatures and the trees are starting to lose their leaves. Kinda weird to see being from Ohio.

Jan 8 - One of the ways we like to volunteer is to take the kids to make meals for Feed My Starving Children. More on that to follow....

Jan 11 - My boy is heavy into skateboarding these days. He is eager to learn new tricks, practicing all the time. And then calling me to the front to check out the new trick. Love him so much!!

Jan 13 - The whole family is addicted to this new game. Here is my husband playing Angry Birds while waiting for my daughter to finish her volleyball practice. :)

Jan 14 - My version of the Arizona Snowman! Since we don't have snow - the winter citrus will do.

Jan 15 - Izzy and her friends were invited to their 1st Jewish Bar Mitzvah. They were all dressed up so pretty and were eager to see what it was all about. They first attended the ceremony at the synagogue and then the party at a local resort afterward. They had a blast! One of the girls even said, "I need to meet more Jewish people." That had us laughing.

Jan 16 - O.K. Not only is my boy into skateboarding - I guess he is into anything with wheels!! Here he is jumping ramps with his buddies - getting some air!

Jan 17 - Day off of work... A great day to start a new project. My husband had this great plan to put a television outside - I was a little hesitant... but he built this cool cabinet thing and hung the flat panel on the house - now thats where the kids want to watch t.v. Turned out pretty cool. More pics to come I am sure...

Jan 18 - Gavin's skate obsession continues - we ordered a LONGBOARD off of Amazon and it arrived today. It is like surfing or snowboarding on wheels. He loves it. Such a smooth ride!

Jan19 - My view at work! The Kitchen.

Jan 20 - My home, arial view.

Jan 21 - Picked up Izzy from the Jr. High Dance tonight. Caught this photo before Izzy came up to me and said, "No pictures Mom - Let's Go" :( So I didn't manage to get her in the any photos.

I love taking photos - photos of the everyday, the little things. And taking those photos from a unique perspective. I hope that my photos inspire you to take photos of the little things too!
Thanks for stopping by!!:)
bren

Project Life is Back in Stock

2011-01-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Yay - Becky recently ran out of kits, but they are BACK in STOCK at Amazon!
Click below to get yours today!
:)

Days of the Week Words on my Project Life Pics

2011-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

I often get asked about the pretty days of the week words written on my photos – those are Ali Edward’s Days & Months brushes that I add using photoshop. You can get them here at Designer Digitals.

But I also found that you can get a FREE set of equally adorable days from Sara Frank! You can Download her set HERE!

If you are familiar with photoshop - adding them is easy. Simply save the brushes to your hard drive, then click the brush icon in the tools palette, it looks something like this:

Your pre-loaded brushes will drop down, then click the small arrow in the upper right corner of the palette, and choose load brushes. Find the saved brushes you want to add and click to add. Your new brushes will be added to the current brushes.

Once they are loaded - click the brush tool again from your tools palette and select the brush you would like to use on your photo. The words will appear like a stamp and will move around as you move your mouse. Drag your mouse to where on your photo you would like to place the image, adjust the size of the words by clicking the left bracket [ to make the brush smaller, right bracket ] to make it bigger - then right click your mouse to stamp the image on your photo.

It really is that easy!

have a great day

bren

Change the Way you Scrapbook!!

2011-01-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

I am probably OVER-POSTING my blog with topics about Project Life - You can see I am a little obsessed. But it's the start of a NEW YEAR and what better way to start the NEW YEAR with a New Goal:

To Change the Way You Scrapbook!!

Yah - no more paper scrapbooking for me. I love the simplicity of these albums. I must admit, I am 2 years behind on my regular scrapbooking. 2010 is complete (thanks to PLife), but the 2 years of scrapping that needs to be done are somewhat organized in my scrapbook tote. this thing looks ancient to me...

Each potential page is stored in Large baggies - complete with photos, papers and embellishments. Just waiting to be assembled.

I just haven't been in the mood to pull out my glue stick and put the pages together. And NOW - I am thinking... I am not going to - NO WAY!

TAKE NOTE PEOPLE - you have old photos and don't have the talent or desire to scrapbook all those photos?

PUT THEM IN A PROJECT LIFE BOOK! I will show you how. :)

very simple, very fast and SUPER affordable. I am loving this!!!

Label the title card with the topic of your page. Here I did Halloween 2009.

Then place your pictures in the desired pockets. I only needed 3 spots for journaling, so I cropped some additional photos to fit where the journaling cards would go.

And Tah Dah! This layout only took me about 10 minutes.

I already LOVED Becky's Project Life - but OH MY, I am so excited about this NEW way of scrapbooking!

So, I encourage you to join in. This is much more affordable, clean and much less work too!!
I do encourage you to buy this kit, but unfortunately her kits are SOLD OUT right now on Amazon. However, Becky did tell me that they are restocking and they will be available at the end of January.

So for now - start organizing your thoughts and photos and I will let you know when the kits are available.

Yay - for innovative ideas!!
:)

bren

Project Life Past & Present

2011-01-03T17:23:00.001-08:00

The 2010 Project Life Book is Complete.

It was my first attempt at a picture-a-day… and I must say, I really enjoyed it! The book was fabulous. I loved everything from the design of the binder and all of the inserts to the layout of each of the page protectors. And especially the concept.

The Project Life book came at just the right time. I was getting so behind with my traditional scrapbooking, never finding the time to catch up. I also knew the amount of time and energy, and MONEY that went into traditional scrapbooking – I just didn’t have enough of any of it. The book allowed me to stay up to date on my scrapbooking, and now behind the scenes I am catching up with my old scrapbooks. No more “falling behind”! and It feels good.

Here’s a Peek at my 2010 Project Life Book.

The Cover:

I used my Cricut Machine to cut out the vinyl letters for the words on the front.

The Opening Page:

Becky supplied us with some great Opening Page Papers. I copied the layout design from someone else’s that I saw online. I embellished the page with vinyl numbers for the 2010 date and some clear stickers.

The Actual Pages:

I liked to organize my cards in coordinating designs – so each of the days of the week were the same pattern.

Sometimes I had more photos than the week would allow – so I went ahead and used smaller pictures where the journaling cards would normally go. This worked out great.

The pages look equally as good when you just mix & match the papers as well.

AND NOW…

onto the 2011 Project Life Book.

I chose the Amber Edition. I absolutely LOVE the colors, patterns & papers in this kit.

Here is the Cover: I plan on adding our family name to this book as well.

The Opening Page:

Becky’s kit included a supply sheet with examples of the cover and ending pages. I just loved the design, so I put mine together just like hers.

The Middle pages:

This year, I did the same – kept all the coordinating patterns together. It just feels right to me. But her journaling cards are meant to be random, so feel free to put yours together as you wish.

The Back Page:

As Becky’s Example showed.

Now… onto another year of photos!

Are you joining in Project Life 2011 with me?

So excited!

bren

A Week in Pics: Highlights of December

2011-01-03T15:06:00.001-08:00

Yes – I am back from my little Blogging Break.

I took a Non-Blog Vacay and spent the last few weeks of December with my Family and no distractions. It was so nice…I love blogging – I really do…but I LOVE spending time with my family MORE!

Project Life 2010 is officially finished! Yay. I can’t believe that I actually did it – No skipping – no Project Life Breaks. I, no kidding, took a picture-a-day and managed to get them printed and in the book within a week. I even posted most of them on here for you to see. :)

I hope in 2010, by sharing my photos with you.. that maybe, you were inspired to take pictures of your life too.

Here are some highlights of My December:

Monday, Nov. 29th – Lazy day hanging out with the dog. She loves her Sissy.

Thursday, Dec 2nd – My Annual Holiday Gift Exhange was a Blast. I love my friends. I look forward to this party every year. It is so fun getting together, sharing a meal and exchanging gifts. We do the traditional “white elephant” style gift exchange, except the gifts are actually things we can use - Holiday Decorations mostly. It is a lot of fun.

Wednesday – Santa came to my Mom’s neighborhood Clubhouse, she invited the kids to come and tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas… However, she found time to sit on his lap to share her thoughts as well… looks like Santa was a little surprised! :)

Saturday – I tell you… my life is a lot of baseball! But, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I so much enjoy going to Gavin’s baseball games. He gets better and better with each tournament. Here – Gavin hits a triple!!

Sunday – It was a weekend long tournament. The boys came in 2nd Place!! Yay! Gav likes driving to the tournaments with my car all decked out in Window Paint. :)

Thursday – My Girl is special too. This was her Holiday Choir Concert. She enjoys dressing up for the concerts and makes me do her hair all nice. The singing is pretty good too! :) The school has a great choir program.

Friday – Gavin’s Team Christmas Party. All the boys got new shirts, sweatshirts and backpacks from the coaches. It was a fun night. What a great group of boys.

Sunday – My Brother got a new Christmas Kitten. They named him Smokey. He is very friendly, super cute and gets along well with the other kitties in the house. I love kittens, but super allergic to them. :( I will admire from afar.

Monday – Not allergic to my Dog, Lilly. She is so cute right now. We haven’t cut her hair in over 2 months, so it is so long right now. She looks like a walking teddy bear. So, so cute. I caught her laying on the couch with her tongue out, I love that face.

Tuesday – My Little Drummer Boy had his first Band Concert. His music teacher is amazing. I can’t believe she teaches all these kids different instruments. The kids really enjoy having her as their teacher. Gavin had a fun night banging on the drums and ringing the sleigh bells.

Wednesday – I love the house during Christmastime. The decorations make me happy. My tree is decorated with Santa’s, bows and snowflakes. The kids also hang all their ornaments that they have collected over the years.

Thursday – More Home Holiday Decor…

Friday – My daughter had a mini Holiday Gift Exchange as well. The girls came over for a few hours, ate Chinese Food, Exchanged Gifts and then went chalking their friend’s driveways. It was a fun night with a great group of girls.

Monday – my friend Tracy texted my dog a picture of her dog and the message said, “Merry Christmas Lilly, From Jack Jack”. So I responded with this picture, taken with my cell phone. “Hi Jack Jack – Merry Christmas, Love, Lilly”

Wednesday – Hitting the Batting Cages to get ready for The Winter Nationals – a BIG baseball tournament coming up next week! A few of the boys were breaking in their NEW Christmas Bats at the practice, Gavin was jealous. But little did he know, he was getting a NEW bat for Christmas!

Friday – Christmas Eve. We went to Church service at CCV. Wonderful. Then dinner at The Cheesecake Factory – where we ate our meals OUTSIDE!! It was so nice. Then home for bed and Santa. Even though my kids are Bigger and they KNOW about Santa – they still keep tradition and set out cookies and milk. I caught Chad taking a bite before heading to bed. ;)

Saturday – Christmas Day!! Happy Birthday Jesus! Opening Presents, Playing with New Toys and the Dinner Table at Mom & Dad’s. We are very Blessed.

Sunday thru Friday – A week-long Baseball Tournament! The Winter Nationals!!! The games were mostly in the evenings, so we had time to shop and hang out at home… but we really enjoyed having baseball during our week off. The boys played really well – The 10u Heat came in 2nd Place!! We are really excited for them.

my boy with his new bat:

my boy with an awesome tag-out at first base:

my boy and his buddies passing along the trophy:

So… this is my life.

I can’t believe how fast time flies. Life in 2010 was a Blast!!

I am so looking forward to 2011 – I have my Project Life kit all ready to go.

I hope you stay tuned….

Happy New YEAR!!!

bren

Project Life 2011 is HERE!!

2010-12-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

Yay!
Becky Higgins' Project Life is Unloading at Amazon Today!!

You can purchase them here:

Yay! I am so excited!
I am going to order my "Amber" Edition today!

:)

Oh boy...

2010-12-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

I am so sorry I haven't posted in a while.
There are so many things I want to share - it's just that the photoshop that I use on my husband's computer is SOOO SLLOOOWWW. OMGoodness - I hate using it.

I asked Santa for a Mac Version of Photoshop so that I can put it directly on my computer. That would make me so Happy. :)

So SUPER DUPER HAPPY!

and then it will be so much easier to share my craft ideas and pictures with you.

so... please be patient with me.

Oh, and I am so behind on my Christmas Shopping... I will probably be away for a few days with that.

But I will be back - promise.

Gotta finish out my 2010 PROJECT LIFE book and share it with you!
:)

As for now...

MERRY CHRISTMAS my darling readers!

Our Christmas Mantel

2010-12-06T20:41:00.001-08:00

So we spent the day after Thanksgiving drenched in an overload of Christmas Decor. I have grown such a collection over the years – almost think I have too much stuff. (is that possible?) and I have created such the Santa Collection! Although he is NOT the true meaning of Christmas… how can you not love him! He makes the kids happy and he’s super cute to look at!

Which brings me to the theme of my mantel and well, my holiday home. :)

You may think that I specifically painted my walls green for the Holidays – well, it looks that way. I love how cozy and festive it makes the room feel, but no… that is the color of my walls all the time! so fun!!

I handmade the stockings a couple of years ago. I am getting the itch to make some new ones soon – probably for next year. They are my own template that I cut from paper bags. The boys have a fur cuff and the girls, cute leopard print ruffle with ball fringe! and then I attached a wooden letter for each of our names.

More Holiday Decorating to Come….. so stay tuned…

and

I'm linking to Layla's Mantel Party! Be sure to check out all the other creative mantel ideas by clicking the box below!!!

happy decorating!!

bren

Reindeer Sign and a Winner!

2010-12-06T15:09:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share my most recent project with you and announce the winner of the Fini Fini Crochet & Knit Creations Brimmed Hat with Flower Giveaway.

1st – My most recent project!

I saw something similar to this recently and found a way to create one for myself using my Cricut Machine and vinyl – I love my Cricut!!

and here are some simple instructions if you would like to make one for yourself!!

Cut a piece of wood 12” wide and approximately 15” long. (I used oak)
Spray paint your board white.
Using your cricut and a piece of Red Vinyl – cut out the individual names of all the reindeers – using different fonts and sizes.
Position the names randomly on the board!
If you do not have red vinyl (which I did not have): I originally painted the board red and placed white vinyl letters on the board, then sprayed the board and the vinyl white – after it dried I peeled the vinyl letters to reveal the silhouette of the letters.

So very simple. You can do many variations of this:

Christmas Songs
Favorite line from a Christmas Movie
Holiday Words like: tinsel, jingle, jolly, merry, etc…

*************************************************************************************************************

and onto the WINNER….

The Random.org Number Generator picked Comment #17! That means that Heather – You are The WINNER!!! CONGRATULATIONS!

(please email me your shipping information and Stacy will send that out to you!)

Happy Day – Everyone!

bren

A Week in Pics X 2

2010-11-29T22:13:00.001-08:00

Okay – so I am a week behind…. I was enjoying my time with the family over Thanksgiving Break! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend and I hope you did too! :)

Each week on Tuesday, I post my pictures of the day from the previous week. The concept is from Becky Higgins (I love her) – and you need to check out her blog HERE! She created Project Life = A Picture a Day for a whole Year.

We are getting close to wrapping up Project Life 2010 – can’t believe that I have kept up with taking a picture a day for almost 365 days! I am impressed with myself – it has been so fun! and fyi…. I am continuing Project Life in 2011!!! YAY!

and onto 2 weeks worth of Reed Maddness…

Monday – So impressed with my Mother! She is 63 and as active as can be! So active that she plays tennis almost 7 days a week, golf, and Pickleball! This lady has never been so active – I think she likes living here. :) Anyhow, she brought this trophy home last week.. 1st PLACE in 7.0 Mixed Doubles!!! WAY TO GO MA!!

Tuesday – Team Photo. The boys got some new jerseys, courtesy of Under Armour and we wanted to send the rep a picture of the team. Don’t they look sharp? :)

Wednesday – Set the camera on the street corner on timer and caught myself in action. The kids thought it was a little interesting, but they will soon learn that I love to take pictures!! Have I told you that I Love my Job? :) the kids are so fun!

Thursday - Recently started a Tea Group bible study with a couple of my friends. Such great people – so glad to be able to connect with them each week.

Friday – Turkey Trot Day!! I stopped by the school between my shifts at work and just happened to catch Izzy running the home stretch to the finish line. I soon learned that she walked most of it, but did finish strong with a sprint.

Saturday – Grocery Shopping for Thanksgiving Day. Getting prepared for Turkey Day!

Sunday - Another Baseball Tournament Weekend. We are loving it! and I am loving these action shots. Here, I caught Gavin after the pitcher threw him a pick-off back at 1st base. It was a success! He was outta-there! Way to Go Caleb & Gavin! YAY!!

Monday – Equally impressed with Izzy. She was nominated by her teachers to be a member of the National Junior Honor Society. In order to be nominated you must have excellent grades, be of good character, be a leader through sports or academics, and be a volunteer around the community. This was the Inductee Ceremony – a few of her friends became members too. Way to go Girls – so, so proud!

Tuesday – This was a special choir concert where all of the elementary schools that feed into the local High School came together for one big choir concert. Izzy is in the middle and was misbehaving with her friend next to her. (not so NJHS like huh?) She couldn’t stop giggling. But it was neat to see all the schools come together.

Wednesday – Carrot Cake Day! I had to raise some money for Izzy to be part of Club Volleyball – the down payment for Club was HUGE. So I decided to sell some Rosa’s Deli Carrot Cakes as a fundraiser. (my Mom owned a deli back in Ohio where she sold these awesome carrot cakes – the recipe is a classic and is super delicious) The fundraiser was a success. I sold 16 FULL carrot cakes and delivered them on the Eve of Thanksgiving. The hardest part of the sale was finding places to store the cakes before delivery. My fridge was stacked with cakes.

Thursday - thanksgiving Day! YUm! grilled 2 turkeys and had the family over to my house to FEAST! so d-lish!!

Friday – Spent the day Decorating the House (pic to come shortly)

Saturday – Ooooh the most anticipated football game of the Season – Ohio State vs Michigan. Mom and Dad came over for Breakfast while we watched the Bucks kick some Michigan Butt. :) Yeah – That’s right! Had to capture a pic with Brutus who was out front during the game.

Sunday – It is NOT warm here. Okay, it is warmer than the weather in Ohio. But to us natives… it is C-O-L-D (65 degrees) Chad was outside most of the evening hanging our Christmas Lights. They turned out so nice. :) thanks babe! but, I can’t believe he was out there in his shorts! He is C-R-A-Z-Y!

Yay for PHOTOS!!

AND DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY – GO HERE and ENTER!!!

love ya!

bren

Doorbell, Thermostat Solution: Frame-it-in

2010-11-29T13:44:00.001-08:00

There is this wall in my kitchen where the builder had poor planning and just slapped the doorbell and the thermostat on the wall. They are in odd places, put there without any rhyme or reason – not pleasing to look at. It has been driving me crazy since the day we moved in…. such poor planning, such an eyesore.

I have seen it done before where people frame in the doorbell, so I played around with it a bit and came up with this solution.

I like it… it makes me smile.

I especially like the House Rules vinyl – I bought the words online and then pasted them to a white board – super duper cute. You can find the vinyl HERE at ShannonMakesStuff.blogspot.com

have a gr8 day!

bren

Fini Fini Crochet & Knit Creations Giveaway

2010-11-27T08:26:00.001-08:00

I am so excited for this Giveaway! Stacey’s Creations are Amazing.

Her Knit Creations make GREAT GIFTS! Looking for a newborn gift? – or how about a unique Holiday Gift? – you have got to see her awesome work!!

She can create just about anything… Here are some of my favorites:

And, of course… this knit Brimmed Beanie with Flower Hat that my daughter is modeling below!

(photo courtesy of LorieVPhotography – thanks Lorie)

But what is MOST EXCITING is that Stacey at Fini Fini Creations wants to give one of my readers this Brimmed Beanie! This hat fits sizes tween to adult.

There are 3 chances to win: (please leave a comment for each)

Visit Fini Fini’s Etsy Page HERE and tell me what is your favorite knit creation.
Like Fini Fini Creations on FACEBOOK
Follow Peek at My Paper with Google Friend Connect -------------->

Giveaway will close Sunday, December 5th.

Good Luck!

brenda

Your Help Please!

2010-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

So I have spent some time on Shutterfly over the weekend, playing with designs for this year's Christmas Cards. I have narrowed it down to 2 and I need your help to decide which one to send out.

Card 1 - The Snowflake Card

Snowflake Sprinkles Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

or Card 2 - the Happy Everything Card

Holiday Confetti Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

:)

I would like to get these ordered this week - so please leave me a comment and give me your vote!

Thank you!!
:)
bren

Project Life 2011 Sneak Peek!

2010-11-16T07:30:00.001-08:00

I am so Giddy with Excitement right now! The NEW KITS, yes – I said “kits” are AMAZING. You must watch the video of Becky below.

The colors are BEAUTIFUL.. The EXTRA’s are Perfect….

How am I going to pick which style?

And there are so many uses for the Extra Binders and Page Protectors!

It is very difficult for me to be patient…

THANK YOU BECKY!!! Absolutely Beautiful – can’t wait to order!!!

Tell Me - Are you going to join me in Project Life 2011? I Would Love it if you wanted to share your weekly pictures with me!

brenda

Week in Pics: Donuts, Oranges & Pot Pie

2010-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday – this pic is from 2 Saturdays ago… we had a community-wide garage sale. It was a beautiful morning. There were so many homes involved and lots of people walking around! It was a great success. I took a bunch of pictures and felt awkward taking pictures of strangers looking at our stuff – but I really liked this one. I do not know these little girls, but loved how they were collecting stuff from all the sales, their arms were full of goodies!!

Sunday – Took a ride to our NEW Dunkin Donuts that just opened down the road. Yummy, Fresh Donuts for breakfast! so Healthy… NOT, but D-Licious!!

Tuesday – Surprise!! This morning I saw something ORANGE on our ORANGE tree! This is the first one to turn! So exciting. The only bad thing was when I went to pull it… it was full of bugs. Oh well… there will be more! :)

Wednesday – Each year the kids at our elementary school invite family members who are Veterans for a Veterans Day Breakfast and Celebration. I love how the school does this and the Veterans are so happy to be invited! Songs are sung, the band plays and the Vets are invited one-by-one up to the microphone to tell where they served, when and who they are related to. It is always so interesting and emotional.

Thursday – Such a sweet surprise! My neighbor Lorie knows how busy my life is right now… she came by and brought my family a Chicken Pot Pie for dinner! It was so wonderful. Not only Delicious, but nice that I didn’t have to cook and instead could spend that time with my family. :) Thanks Lorie!! Lorie’s blog HERE.

Friday – A Baking Fool! I will explain this Baking Day later, just know that I spent many hours on Friday baking! It was fun and well worth the time!! :)

Saturday – Veterans Day Baseball Tournament in Tucson. It was our 1st trip to Tucson – not very exciting down there (at least from what we could tell). It was about a 2 hour drive from Northern Phoenix. We played 2 games on Saturday, spent the night, and then another game on Sunday. Gavin did a great job pitching.

Sunday - Day 2 of the tournament. Gavin on 1st base ready for the tag out. Loved this picture of the player in the air reaching back for the base. :) The 10U boys lost their games, but the older Heat team – the 13U’s, ended up winning the whole tournament! It was a fun weekend.

Can’t believe the end of the year is so close! Only a few weeks left to take pictures for Project Life 2010!!!

I have officially decided that I am going to continue with Project Life in 2011! The new kits will be for sale soon…. I will keep you all posted!!

Happy Photo Taking.

Bren

Realtor Gift – New Home Front Door Wreath

2010-11-15T17:36:00.001-08:00

I am having so much fun making these unique gifts for my realtor friend.

Gosh – If I had to buy a house again, I would be so excited to work with Her.

Melissa Dierks is so friendly, fun, hardworking and attentive. She is a new realtor but is giving it 100% and her clients love her. She also is so generous – she enjoys giving each of her clients a special gift after closing.

She recently sold another house and instead of doing a Gift Basket, like we did last time, we thought of the idea of a wreath for her client’s New Front Door.

It was so easy to create!

Just found a basic wreath – this one had the green berry sprigs already attached to it.
Then I found some garland – I liked the pomegranate and artichokes, all I did was tuck it into the wreath and then tie it off with some green floral wire.
To finish it off – a metal welcome sign and a GIANT green bow – and whoalla!! The wreath was huge – a generous gift for sure.

I Absolutely LOVE this wreath! Wish I had one on my front door! This one was hung on my front door for about an hour and then Melissa came to get it. :(

I am gonna have to save my pennies and make one for myself as well.

If you live in the Phoenix area and are looking to buy or rent a home...

Call Melissa!

623–229-0154

so I can make you one too!!!

bren

I’m Here!

2010-11-08T15:56:00.001-08:00

Hello – I am here.

Just took some time from blogging to adjust to my “New Life”. You know, the working kind. :) I like it. I really do.

Also, there has been so much going on with Volleyball and Baseball – there really hasn’t been much else to talk about in life.

Gavin has been doing well with Travel Baseball – we just spent a weekend down in Gilbert, AZ for a tournament. The boys did well and are getting better with each game

Isabella tried out for Club Volleyball and made a Local Volleyball team. We are very excited for her and her friends who made the team with her.

I have realized too – that for me…. spending less time on the computer has helped with my headaches. I find that if I sit here for too long, I end up getting a migraine. So, I am happy that I am realizing that and will now have to limit my time on the ‘puter.

Here are some of the PICTURES OF THE WEEK from the past 2 weeks!

Monday – still keeping up with the pictures of my boy as he grows. Not too much longer and he will be taller than me. :( I guess that is a good thing.

Tuesday – I told you there has been a lot of baseball. I had to get creative with my picture taking.

Wednesday – Gavin was playing a game on his iPod and Jacob wanted to watch, so he cuddled up behind him. They are such good friends. I love it!

Thursday – Just a fun picture of a pumpkin just before it was going to get carved.

Friday – Isabella going to the Jr. High dance. Posed with her daddy and brother, who were misbehaving. She had a great time with her friends.

Saturday – All business. The school volleyball team was competing in the end of season tournament. They lost, but had a great season of fun!

Sunday – Halloween Night Trick or Treating. Costumes were easy this year…Gavin and his buddies went as baseball players! (can’t beat that") and Izzy – well, she and her friend Brittlen dressed in all black with striped tights.

Sunday – Here is the result of the kid’s pumpkin carving! They used a template and did a great job. :)

Well – it’s good to be back!

I have a giveaway coming soon – so stay tuned!!!

Hope all is well with you too.

brenda

Time to Think about Christmas Cards?

2010-10-25T14:17:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it!

Time is FLYING by….. i wish it would just slow down, i am having such a great time. :)

Halloween will soon be behind us, Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, and then BOOM, the day after Turkey Day…. the Holiday Hustle and Bustle. Do yourself a favor – start thinking about your holiday cards NOW.

I am…

This year, I am totally going to send out Shutterfly Christmas cards . They have such a great collection of holiday cards. You should really check out the designs from the new Shutterfly holiday collection. Here are a few of my favorites:

Okay – the girl in this photo is absolutely adorable, but I can imagine an equally adorable picture of my own kids on this card. :)

I Love it because it is a postcard, with a matte finish & very simple, clean. This card would stand out if on display at my friends houses for sure! The scallop title is so soft and whimsical – just my style.

* * * * * * * * * *

And this card (also a post card style) would be my choice if I had a larger family.

----------------------------------------------->

Again, very simple and I love how the card lets you introduce your children and give a little ditty about each of them. Cute paper design on the bottom too. :)

* * * * * * * * * *

The Post Card Style is my favorite for this year, but Shutterfly also offers the traditional card as well. This card has a shiny finish on the outside.

I think it’s awesome that you can have 2 Large pictures in one card!

one on the outside….

and another on the inside! very cool.

So – Let Shutterfly worry about your Holiday Cards this year! So Simple to upload your picture and create your custom card right online – with hundreds of card designs to choose from!

They also have designs for Christmas invitations , Thanksgiving cards , New Year’s cards , Hanukkah cards , Business Christmas cards , Personalized Thank You cards!!

go…… take a peek!

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

brenda

Week in Pics: Work, Weeds & Hauntings

2010-10-19T21:38:00.001-07:00

Monday - Even after 2 1/2 years of living in AZ – these still make me giggle.

Tuesday – My New Job!! I will be the BEST Crossing Guard I can be! :) want to learn more… see this post.

Wednesday – The Highlight of my Work Day… visiting with all the kiddos!! :) I like my new job. (plus, I get to wear an apron)

Thursday – Val Westover’s Capturing True Emotion Photography Workshop, where I finally learned all the settings on my camera and how to use them. No More AUTO setting! YAY! You can learn your camera too…. see this post to win a seat at his next Workshop!

Friday – My daughter and her friends went to their 1st Haunted House together. We sent my husband in with the girls while all the Mom’s hung back and went through behind. I think us Moms actually screamed more than the girls did, mainly because the girls hid their faces and cried the whole way through. Then they were chased through the parking lot by a scary guy with a chainsaw…. they are all laughing about it now, but it definitely created quite a memory for them. :)

Saturday – Wild West Day at school! I love that our school does events like this. Such a great time for the students to hang out with their friends in a safe environment. This was our 3rd year going, and unlike the other years, I couldn’t find my kids to get a picture of them at the event. :( so, I had to take this generic picture. My kids are growing too fast……

Sunday – Halloween Decorating – here is my decorated mantel! so fun. :)

Happy Photo taking!!

good times, good times….

brenda

Photography Workshop & Giveaway!

2010-10-15T14:16:00.001-07:00

OH Yeah……I am so ExCiTed!!!

I recently attended a photography workshop and FINALLY learned how to use my DSLR camera on Manual. NO MORE taking pictures on Auto!! & you can learn too!

You know how happy this makes me? Super Duper Happy. :) I took a class in college and learned how to take pictures manually with my “film” camera. Even learned how to develop them in a dark room. I really enjoyed the class, but over the years I drifted from my manual camera to a digital point-and-shoot – and I LOST everything I learned. :(

It only took 1 day People! You don’t need a full semester of college photography – Val can teach you in one day!!!

Professional Photographers:

Val Westover & Stephanie Adriana hold a Photography Workshop called “Capturing True Emotion” on select dates in the following cities:

Phoenix
Albuquerque
Houston
Orange County
Salt Lake City
and Tucson

Their workshop was phenomenal & I LOVE their Mission Statement: “to share the Gift of Photography and to Teach the Basic Elements and Principles of Photography to all who wish to learn!” ……Awesome!

I was impressed by the number of people in attendance. I wasn’t surprised… I know many of my friends who have really nice cameras and we all use auto and wish we knew how to use our cameras properly. It was great to be surrounded by other shutterbugs, at varying levels of camera knowledge, but all there for the love of photography! :) I love creative people!!!

Although there were over 200 people at the workshop in Phoenix, Val and Stephanie set up the conference room so that we could all see two BIG projector screens no matter where we were sitting in the room. The workshop itself was 4 hours, where we followed along through Val’s book, Capturing True Emotion. It truly was easy to understand his step-by-step instructions about basic photography principles, how to use all your camera settings, how to photograph like a pro and artistic photography theory.

What I found MOST valuable ( in my opinion)… was taking everything we learned from the 4 hour workshop and applying it to our own photos at the 2 hour Safari! Val broke us into groups and walked us through each of the cameras settings. He even answered questions for us & Stephanie walked around and answered our individual questions as well. We didn’t leave until we understood our cameras!

If you are like me….. you are tired of taking pictures of your kids’ sports and having to trash all the images because they’re blurry. At the Workshop, we learned how to take pictures by “Panning”: to blur only the background.

And how to stop an image still so there’s no blur and the foreground & background are sharp! {Both Val and Stephanie ran around in the 100 degree Arizona heat so that we could all work on our “panning” techniques. – IMPRESSIVE!}

We also learned how to control the ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Metering, and Lighting! plus so much more…..

I have been wanting take images like these for a while now – where the foreground is clear and the background is blurred. They showed us how to adjust the aperture so that there is depth in the image. aaahhh.

Which brings me to some OTHER Great NEWS!!

Do you have a New camera?
Do you want to learn what all those buttons are for?
Do you want incredible family pictures?
How about learning how to capture your child at their sporting events?

Do You want a seat at one of Val & Stephanie’s “Capturing True Emotion” Photography Workshops?

GIVAWAY Closed

Also included: the 2 hour Photo Safari where Val & Stephanie will work directly with you til you learn all of the settings on your camera.

AMAZING!! The 4 hour Photography Workshop retails for $250.00 & the 2 hour Photography Safari is $200 – and DEANNA won a seat HERE:

LOOK FOR DISCOUNTED WORKSHOP PASSES: Val Westover also offers discounted workshop passes through GROUPON – you can subscribe to Groupon HERE and see if there is a Groupon available in your area.

WINNER CHOSEN!!

– CONGRATULATIONS

DEANNA!!!

Yay!

brenda

HELLO my name is Brenda

2010-10-12T22:44:00.001-07:00

Last week, I was Brenda – the stay-at-home Mom and part-time blogger.

This week, I am still Brenda, but NOW you can add part-time

CROSSING GUARD & LUNCH MONITOR!

It was an interesting Friday. My sister-in-law, who works at the neighborhood school, doing the same position, asked me if I was interested in working again. Her co-worker gave a week’s notice that she was leaving and they needed someone right away. Krissy was hesitant to ask me because she knows how much I enjoy being home. But, without question – I jumped with a YES! This isn’t your typical “office” job – there are times throughout the day when I get to be home. :)

My new schedule goes somethin’ like this:

morning crosswalk
home
lunch duty
home
afternoon crosswalk
home

& it’s perfect for me! I really am excited to have this job. It is the BEST of both worlds!

Here I am on my 1st day of “work”.

setting out my street signs:

Take note of my name tag… you see – I won’t be your typical crossing guard. Gotta Freshen it up Here and There! Today – I wanted to make sure everyone knew my name! :)

ready to cross the walkers across the street:

and I forgot my camera at lunch today – so the camera on my phone had to do the trick… here I am at lunch duty:

and I get to wear an apron to my lunch job!! i like that. :)

It was a great day at work! I am looking forward to seeing all the kids tomorrow. I am looking forward to working side by side with my sister-in-law. We are going to make a great team! and I am looking forward to the extra income. that definitely helps.

Yay! I am a Lunch Lady!!! isn’t this every Mom’s Dream job?

brenda

Week in Pics: Loving Every Minute of it!!

2010-10-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Monday – Skies are looking weird and cooler weather is here. These clouds were almost touching the top of the houses. Today I had to grab a sweatshirt. Just an odd day.

Tuesday – Well, the rain came! Skies were super cloudy again and this time the rain was pouring down. I heard that parts of Phoenix got hit with golfball sized hail that dented many cars and even shattered windshields. Luckily we just got rain.

Wednesday – again, a dreary Ohio-like day. I was a bit nervous to send the boys off to Outdoor Ed because I heard the storms were even worse up North. But they were ready to go! Daddy and Gavin heading off to Prescott, AZ for 3 days of Camp. They will have a blast. I am sure it will bring back many Boy Scout memories for Chad. :)(p.s. Chad has a lazy eye – great to capture the eye in action. :) Love U babe!)

Thursday – Early Release day at school. Gavin’s at camp and Izzy has a project due in Tech. She invited the girls over to make their “How to Bake a Pumpkin Pie” Video. Here they are with the results.

Friday – Here they are – The Smoky Bandits!! My husband knows me very well. He updated me with pictures the whole time at camp. They headed home on Friday and shared all the wonderful pictures & videos that Chad took. He did and amazing job taking pictures. :) thanks honey.

Saturday – Baseball tournament down in Tempe this weekend!! Gavin did great, got a triple with a BIG hit over the right fielder’s head, and he pitched a no hitter inning (3 strike outs in a row!). So fun…… we played 3 games. Won the first 11-0, Lost the second 8-9, and lost the third 4-12. It was fun – next tournament = October 30th!

Sunday – The Phoenix Race for the Cure. So happy to be able to be a part of this. My friend, Kelly, asked me to join her team to walk for some of the members in her family who have breast cancer (one is a survivor). I also walked for our school secretary who is battling it right now. Such an emotional morning. So grateful for my health.

These weeks are just flying by my friends.

I am truly blessed by these wonderful moments and memories. I am loving every minute of it!

Hope you are too.

xoxo

brenda

My Ultimate Family Vacation

2010-10-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

OOOh - the very thought of an Ultimate Family vacation to Anywhere....... puts my mind at peace. I have imagined this destination for a while now and often re-imagine it when I am going through something difficult. - like when the dentist uses that electronic scraper thing to clean my teeth.

Where is this dreamland you ask?

I can't name an exact location, but I can describe what I imagine it looks like. Then maybe you can tell me the name of the place I am describing. :)

This exotic tropical paradise has miles of white sand beach with crisp, calm, blue waters. There are even island oasis's that you can get to by a simple boat trip. You can see through the water perfectly clear with bright colored fishies swimming around. We would definitely show the kids how to snorkel and even show the kids how to feed the fish right from our hands. We could sit at the beach for hours and let the kids build sand castles, swim and surf. There's a place where trainers are training the dolphins and you can actually get in there and swim with them, even possibly be kissed by one. :)
Take a day trip on a catamaran or sailboat - the whole family would board and head out to the deeper waters, maybe even possibly do some fishing and definitely do some whale watching.

This dream vacation place would have opportunities to go parasailing high into the sky. We would love to go horseback riding on the beachfront where we could even ride the horses into the water. Nearby Zip Line through the trees.

I would love one of those ocean cabin rooms - you know, like the ones on "The Bachelor". Where the cabins are up on stilts over the water and you have to walk on docks, like the one pictured above, to get to our room.

What I LOVE about the Ultimate Family Vacation I just described - that it is the perfect mix of tranquility, relaxation, play and adventure. My kids are at an age that I know they would love a destination like this. O.K. SOLD! Gonna go start an Ultimate Family Vacation Piggy Bank. :)

Have you been to this place? or tell me, where would you love to go with your family?

and

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Lexus Safety Experience

2010-10-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

I dream of the day when I can own my very own Lexus GX 460. It has been on my “list” for about 4 years now… someday I will own that car – someday.

My “need” for that Lexus was solidified last week when I was invited to a test track to check out the Safety Features of Lexus first hand. As a mother, and a safe driver, the features we discussed gave me some security if we were to ever be involved in an accident.

My adrenaline was pumping when I pulled into the Lexus Safety event and saw three test tracks set up with 6 Lexus cars ready for us to take for a spin. Thank goodness we were equipped with a professional driver next to us, I was a little hesitant to try out some of the terrain they had set up for us.

The first track – Test the Smart Stop Technology

With all the stories lately about people complaining about the accelerator pedal getting stuck – most of the time because the pedal gets positioned under the floor mat while driving – smart stop allows you to firmly apply the brakes to reduce engine power even when the gas pedal is pushed.

This Test experience was awkward for me – we started accelerating full speed at the green flag and then hit the brakes hard while holding down the gas pedal when we reached the stop sign – the Smart Stop was activated and the car actually stopped within 10 feet and the gas pedal was still depressed. - It was so cool, after that test – my whole body was shaking.

Along with the Smart Stop Technology – Lexus also shortened the gas pedal so that it would be less likely to get stuck on the floor mat.

Test Track 2 – Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)

Traction Control - This feature is when the wheel speed sensors determine that one of the wheels is slipping on something – like snow, ice, mud – the system automatically reduces engine power and applies slight brake pressure to reduce the speed of the tires and pulses until the wheel is under control.

On this test track we were to drive upon a soapy, slippery mat and spin out the tires til the Traction Control activated and we could begin driving. This would have been very useful in Ohio during those snowy, icy winter months.

Vehicle Stability Control – If you take a very sharp turn and lose traction – it automatically applies brakes and reduces engine power to help regain traction and control .

This test track was fun – ever make a sharp U turn going 25 mph? That’s what we had to do. So Super Scary and so Super Fun – although I would never want to do this in real life – it was comforting to know we were with professionals. We drove 2 cars – one with the system and one without. The one with – definitely felt safer and the one without felt like we were on the verge of a roll out. eeeek.

Test Track 3 – Anti-Lock Braking System

Helps maintain steering control and avoid wheel lockup during emergency braking situations.

Here we had to step on the gas full speed and slam on the brakes as if we were going to hit a stopped car and then swerve to the right to try to avoid the cones (accident). There was definitely a difference between the 2 cars on this track – the one car with the ABS allowed me to avoid the accident and pull up next to the cones. But, the car without ABS, when I slammed on the brakes I just rolled into all the cones in front of me (simulating a BIG accident).

Such a Rush and such a great opportunity. I have never before driven a car on a test track. It was great to be able to experience the features first hand in a safe environment. This experience allowed me to gain confidence while driving. It is comforting knowing that these features are there to help protect me and my family in troubling driving situations. :)

Thank you so much to Lexus – for the opportunity

and for the delicious lunch you served at the end of the day.

yum!

A+ to Lexus – can’t wait for the day to own my GX460!!!

Hey – tell me, what’s your dream car?

bren

Week in Pics: Happenings & a few Leftovers

2010-10-05T00:03:00.001-07:00

Leftovers? what’s that I say? – Well, there hasn’t been much happening this week. I have spent a lot of time at home with stomach issues. – so I have been short on pics for the week. But, the nice thing about Project Life is, any picture will do… so, I went into my archives and found a few I have been wanting to post.

Monday – A few months ago I attended the Scottsdale Fry’s Signature Marketplace Event – you recall this post. It was a great event, and as we were leaving the store, we were each given a long stem rose. It wasn’t your typical long stem rose – the stems were 3 feet long!! but the blooms were beautiful. I captured this picture with the long stem rose and the wrist corsage in the background. So pretty.

Tuesday – not a leftover, this baby is brand NEW! :) Took a quick trip up to visit a friend who recently had a baby. I was so excited to meet him and hold him. Gosh – he is such a great baby. I visited for about 2 1/2 hours and he slept through all my poking and prodding and lovins!! I was in heaven. Yay Kelli – you got a good one here!! :)

Wednesday – A PROUD PARENT moment here! Not only am I proud of my daugher who is improving so rapidly at volleyball – Here she is JUMP BLOCKING!! :) smiles!! but, look at me – I am proud that I actually caught the moment on camera! GO IZZY!

Thursday – What a neat day. I was invited to an event held by Lexus to test drive a few Lexus cars and learn about the safety standards in their cars. It was such a thrill to drive the course they set up and slam on the brakes, spin out the tires and take some sharp turns. More details about the Lexus Safety Event coming soon…

Friday – Had a few minutes to chill before heading off to school on Friday. This is the only day of the week Izzy has to ride her bike to school. All other days, I drive her because she has volleyball after school. Love how Lilly just sits and waits with her. :)

Saturday – This is a Leftover pic – it was taken a few weeks ago by one of the boy’s parents. It was Coleman’s birthday (1st on L) and his dad snapped this and sent it to all the parents. I love the colors of this pic and that these are Gavin’s favorite baseball buds! good times..

Sunday – Yes, another Leftover Pic. I have been wanting to add this one to my Project Life Album because it is so Chad. He loves to organize his stuff. :) more smiles. If you haven’t yet, you need to check out this video – it goes along with the picture. So silly.

aaah – see, no need to stress.

If you are behind on your daily pictures, grab some old ones.

have a great day

bren

Project Smile – Oct 1!

2010-10-01T15:18:00.001-07:00

I am not feeling so good today – I thought spending some time focusing on the positive would possibly cheer me up. Let’s see if it works….

So, I found this great gal – Alicia. LOVE her site: A Beautiful Mess – her blog is so uplifting, she is an amazing photographer, and she also hosts Tasty Tuesday – where I often link up my weekly recipes!

Alicia came up with this great concept – Project Smile :) - You already know I enjoy working on Project Life so much – so does Alicia. Project Life helps us find the beauty in the little things around us – but she wanted a new goal – something to help her find the wonderful in her everyday - Her Smile list.

Love this concept and I LOVE to SMILE – so each month I will write a post about the things that brought a SmiLe to my face over the previous weeks and link it up to Alicia’s Project Smile Linky – found HERE and you can find her Linky list posted below.

Brenda’s Smile List Sept 2010:

Reminders every day how much I am loved by my husband, Chadwick. :)
Taking Photos Every day!
Watching my daughter, Isabella, shine at her Jr. High Volleyball Games!
The excitement my son, Gavin, gets while playing baseball – especially seeing his confidence when pitching.
Looking at my dog, Lilly, sleeping with her tongue hanging out.
Eating Rolos and thinking about my Mom and how she wouldn’t share hers with me when I was a kid. She would say, “These are adult candies.” and I believed her.
The photos as a result of the Libby Jones photo shoot. see post here
Personal Notes and Tweets sent directly to me from Becky Higgins. :)
Sharing the pregnancy “Nesting” with a friend who was expecting her 1st baby.
Visiting 2 Newborn Babies and their Mommies.
Growing Closer to a new friend. :)

Oh – there are so many more. That was fun!

You can also link up your smile list below – leave me a message telling me you did. I would love to see your list too. :)

brenda

Week in Pics: A week full of Volleyball & babies!

2010-09-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

Monday – This week was packed with volleyball games. On Game days, a few of the girls from the school volleyball team come to the house for a quick snack before their game.

Tuesday – My friend Cherice had her baby over the weekend – so I made her family dinner. It is her first baby! so excited for her. On the menu: Fettuccini Alfredo, Salad and Bread! yum.

Wednesday – My friend Lorie and I headed to Cherice’s house to meet baby Emmry and to snap a few newborn pictures for her. Ooh – I love babies. Emmry is so fresh, only a few days old – and super duper cute! You can see some of Lorie’s pictures HERE.

Thursday – Speaking of newborns… How about newborn baby puppies. A friend’s Labradoodle just had puppies!! we stopped by for a visit, and can you believe it.. I didn’t bring my camera. Had to use the phone camera. I will definitely have to go back for some better photos – and to visit those cute puppies again. :)

Friday – Izzy’s volleyball team was in a weekend-long tournament. Friday night, the girls played 3 games and won 2 of the 3! It was so exciting to watch.

Saturday – The tournament continued. The girls played approx. 9 games on Saturday. They didn’t do as well as they did on Friday evening, but still came in 12th place out of 23 teams! Not too bad. Here is Isabella serving.

Sunday – Arizona is amazing. It is September 26th and we are still swimming! The heat is still here with temps in the 100’s all week. I hear so many people complaining that they are done with the heat and ready for cooler temps, but not me – I am loving it!

Thanks for stopping by.

brenda

Some Answers to Your ?’s

2010-09-28T10:56:00.001-07:00

So, I have been taking it easy with blogging lately. I must say, it is Not because I am super busy…. just enjoying life with friends these days. :) and working on some home decor projects for a friend who recently moved into her new house. I will have photos of those projects later.

One thing I do not want to put off … is the answers to all your questions. Sometimes I wish I would just move my blog to Wordpress because then I could just comment right back to you. There’s no way to do that with Blogger.

Here are the answers to your questions! :)

Nicole & Shawn both asked – What font do you use for the days of the week on your Project Life photos? I often get asked about the pretty days of the week words written on my photos – those are Ali Edward’s Days & Months brushes that I add using photoshop. You can get them here at Designer Digitals. But I also found that you can get a FREE set of equally adorable days from Sara Frank! You can Download her set HERE!

Susan asked – What kind of Camera do you have? You know, I just went with your basic Cannon EOS Rebel XS. It is a great camera for what I use it for. Right now I use the Auto settings to take my pictures, but I just registered for a photography class to learn how to use the manual settings. Oh – I can’t wait. I bought the classes through Groupon. – who posted a discounted price for the classes thru Val Westover Photography. I am taking the class in October – so hopefully you will notice an improvement in my photography afterwards. :)

Kristin wanted to know – Where did you find the Owls in the Fall Finds Post? All of the items that I have pictured in that post have a hyperlink to them – so all you need to do is click the picture and it will take you to the site. (sorry bout that – should’ve stated that in the original post)

And Judy asked – Do you have any photos of your Project Life Album so far? No, I don’t but I just snapped a few so you can see what the album looks like all put together. :) so simple. And – if any of you are interested in buying a Project Life Kit. Becky is having a SALE for $10 off – Click HERE to PURCHASE!!

2 Page Spread Example:

Handwritten journaling:

Typewriter Journaling:

Okey Dokey – gotta run and have lunch with a friend! More blogging later today!!

:) enjoy your day

brenda

Project Life Kit Sale!!

2010-09-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, you are reading that correctly.

Becky emailed me and wanted me to let you know that:

So NOW is your chance to play along with me and take a picture-a-day!

Not Sure what Becky's Project Life Kit is but you follow my blog? You know how Every Tuesday I post my Pictures of the Week on my Blog (see HERE) - Well, then I print them at Costco and add them to my Project Life Book.

The Kit Normally Costs $49.99 on Amazon.com NOW only $39.99!

Project Life is such a Great Gift! - get a jump start on your holiday shopping and give the Project Life Kit as a Gift. Maybe your sister-in-law loves taking photos, or your Mom Loves Scrapbooking or your friend who just had a baby - This would be a great gift for them!

If you are feeling overwhelmed because you are so far behind in your scrapbooking - you are not alone. (This is totally me.) Project Life is so simple, it keeps me up to date and I don't have the stress of falling behind. :) I'm tellin' ya - Becky's Project Life Book is a Lifesaver.

Project Life is a great way to get your pictures and memories organized! No more shoeboxes full of unorganized pictures people! It's just like a photo album, but now you can journal right next to your pictures. So Simple and I love it!

And you will too! You can find more information about Becky's Project Life Kit HERE.

If you are ready to take the Leap and Join me... Go HERE!!!

Yay! I am so excited for you!

brenda

Week in Pics: Fall Sports, Home Dec & A Boo Crew

2010-09-21T00:33:00.001-07:00

Monday – My boy loves snacks. Especially the after school ones, just before dinner. He will pick up a little of this and a little of that to fill that tummy after a long day at school. No problem, he still eats his dinner too!

Tuesday – Ahh Fall Sports Begin. The kids hang out after school to cheer on their school football team. Okay, maybe not cheer them on… more like giggle at all the football players. :) anyway – good times.

Wednesday – Isabella has her 1st School Volleyball Game. Although the girls did not win, this will be a fun season for them. 6 of the girls that I asst.coach in rec volleyball made the school team! Go Heat Volleyball! Go Izzy!!!

Thursday – Nothing beats hanging out and working on a Craft/Home Decor Project. This day I recovered my lamp shades to make them a statement in my living room. I just <3 them! So simple. You can learn how to make your own – HERE.

Friday – Izzy and a bunch of her friends got together for a Birthday Party. They stopped by the house to grab Izzy’s eye black pen, so they could put those black lines under their eyes – and of course I had to snap a quick pic. The girls were so excited to drive around the neighborhood chalking driveways and then ding dong ditching some of their classmates.

Saturday – Chad spent a few hours outside mowing down the summer grass and then re-seeding for winter. Here’s Chad with his handy dandy mower & yucky sweaty. Love you Chadwick. :)

Sunday – So Mom asked me to come by sometime to take some pictures of her kitty. Little Clara Bella has been Mom & Dad’s cat for over 16 years!! Can you believe it. She is still doing well, just a little weak in her hind legs – but you never know and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity! She’s a good kitty. We love you Clara!!

Happy Photo Snapping Peeps!

bren

Family Photo Shoot

2010-09-20T12:19:00.001-07:00

I am so excited!!!

I was one of the Lucky Winners who won a FREE photo shoot when Becky Higgins had her BIG Photography Giveaway a few months ago.

The very talented Libby of Libby Jones Photography met my family at an Ice Cream Shop in Downtown Scottsdale – The Sugar Bowl – ever been there? Super Duper Cute Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. Totally her idea to do our photo session there, and it was so perfect for our family.

ALL of the pictures turned out fantastic!! I would LOVE to share them all, but here are a few….

THANK YOU Becky!

THANK YOU Libby Jones!!

We Love them!

brenda

A Lamp Shade Makeover

2010-09-18T17:13:00.001-07:00

Turn Boring Lamp shades……… Into Extraordinary Lamp shades!

I was looking everywhere for new lamp shades. I found quite a few I liked, but they were for sale with the lamp and didn’t want to spend that much money on a new lamp, when mine were perfectly fine – I only wanted the fun shades!

So, I went to my local JoAnn’s and picked up a yard of decorative fabric and went to work recovering the lampshades I already had.

First, I peeled the original trim and fabric off of the base plastic shade.

Then, Layed the original fabric on top of my “new” fabric and used it as a template to cut the fabric.

Next, I turned the fabric face to face and sewed the two ends together to make a tube. And Ironed the seam open so it would lay flat on the lamp shade.

I took the original “naked” lamp shade outside and sprayed it with adhesive. It was tacky but not permanent. Then I slipped the fabric over the shade and pressed it against the adhesive to flatten it out.

Finally, I Hot Glued Bias Tape, as a decorative trim, to finish the edges of the shade.

Tah Dah!! 2 NEW lamp shades, Super Duper Cute and it only cost me $10.00!!

I am so excited. It totally changed the look of the whole room! :)

Here’s to CHEAP & EASY Home Project Makeovers!

Find other Great Project Ideas Here:

:)
bren

Buckeyes Recipe

2010-09-16T15:24:00.001-07:00

Aaah Yes – the reminders of Fall in the Midwest.

College Football – Rainy Days – Falling Leaves & the Tradition of making Buckeyes!

I love watching The Ohio State Buckeyes (my Alma mater) play Football. The memories of attending the games at the Horseshoe – bring smiles to my face. Someday I will be back in that stadium again….. someday.

Until then – I carry on with my tradition of making these delicious balls of Peanut Butter & Chocolate.

1 stick margarine – room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag of chocolate chips

Hand mix well, all of the above – except the chocolate chips – until smooth. Roll dough into long strips about 1” in diameter. Pinch off 1” of the strip and roll into a ball. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet with all of the balls in the freezer to harden. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Use a toothpick to pick up the frozen dough balls and dip them in the chocolate til covered (as shown above). Place them back on the frozen cookie sheet and put back into the freezer to set.

Then enjoy.

Go BUCKEYES – I LOVE YOU!!!

bren

Week in Pics: Labor Day, Sports & Photography

2010-09-14T12:07:00.001-07:00

Monday – Labor Day! It has become a Family Tradition to spend Labor Day Picnicking and Swimming at our local Lake. Lake Pleasant. The temperature of the Lake was perfect and so was the company. My Mom & Dad, My Brother & Sister-in-law and their 2 kids, and Some Family Friends who recently moved here from Ohio, joined us. It was a relaxing day at the Lake.

Tuesday – Lilly has a new Habit… sleeping with her tongue hanging out. :) It is so cute. But what is even cuter, is when you call her name and she lifts her head but keeps her tongue out. She cracks us up!

Wednesday – My friend Cherice is having a BABY! and my other friend Lorie is a Blooming Photographer. Put the two together and you get some really Beautiful Photos. :) I was there as Lorie’s assistant, making sure Cherice’s hair was in place and that her dress was laying nicely for the photos. It was so fun. You can check out Lorie’s Website Here – LorieV Photography.

Thursday – I have been noticing butterflies hanging around the backyard – and every time I do… I run inside to grab my camera and by the time I get outside – they already flew away. On this day, I actually made it back and he was still there! :) I love butterflies. I once read a book called “Hope for the Flowers” by trina paulus – It was given to me by a friend during a really tough time in my life and it tells about HOPE. Such a great story. You can find it HERE.

Friday – Nothing Beats Friday Night Football. It was the Opening Game for Liberty H.S. – against their rivals Sunrise Mountain H.S. It was so packed – they had to open the field so people could sit near the end zone. The weather was perfect.

Saturday – Gavin recently joined a Club Baseball Team, 10U AZ Heat. This weekend was the boys’ 1st tournament up in Anthem. They were so excited to play and finally wear their new uniforms. Don’t they look cool? They won the 1st Game against Inside Pitch and lost the second against Goodyear. The boys played really well and we look forward to many more. (Gavin got to pitch in the second game – and man, he blew us away. He did really well.)

Sunday – Silly Bandz, don’t we all wish we invented these. The kids love them. This is how I found Gavin’s on Sunday Morning. Just had to snap a pic. :)

Good times…good times…

happy photo snapping.

brenda

Fall Finds!

2010-09-09T15:26:00.001-07:00

Cool Etsy Stuff that makes me smile :)

Etsy is the best!

I absolutely LOVE crafty people. If I could buy everything from Etsy, I would. I love supporting fellow crafters and I love the stuff they make.

I am in the mood to decorate for fall and headed to Etsy for some ideas. Here are a few Fall things I found that made me smile.

Have you started decorating for fall?

brenda

Week in Pics: Play Time, Critters & a Birthday

2010-09-07T10:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my Pictures of the Week. Each week on Tuesday, I post my pictures of the day from the previous week. The concept is from Becky Higgins – you need to check out her site HERE. Project Life = A Picture a Day for a whole year. Join me!

Monday: I love my neighborhood. The kids here are great! Gavin loves playing outdoors and he never seems to fail when it comes to finding someone to play with. On this day – the boys tied bungee chords to the bike and attached them to their scooters and got pulled up and down the street. They were having so much fun!

Tuesday: Blogger Tour @ Fry’s Signature Marketplace in Scottsdale! What a great group of ladies!! We are the Phoenix area Bloggers and we were invited to check out the new store in Scottsdale before it opened to the public! The store got totally renovated and there was so much to see – you can learn more about it HERE!

Wednesday: Puppy Haircut Day!! We have a Groomer who comes to our house to Groom the dogs. My Mom brings her dog, Gizmo over to get his hair done at the same time as Lilly. Here they are feeling PRETTY – just after getting their baths! :)

Thursday: Becky Higgins had a photo challenge where she asked her readers to put the camera down on the counter and take a picture. I took multiple pictures and sent one off to her, but I happened to like this one as my POTD – My Lunch!

Friday: Just as Chadwick was locking up the house for the night – he invited me to the front patio to take a peek at something. Of course I grabbed my camera and took a pic of this little creature! He was so funny because I got in really close and he didn’t move – only his eyes. I even went to the other side of him to take a few and he turned his head to watch me. Cute little Praying Mantis.

Saturday: Happy Birthday to my Dear Husband Chadwick!!! He is getting so old, as am I – but I am glad we are getting old together. I love him very much.

Sunday: We are members at a great church here in the Valley, CCV. Not only do we have a large Church community that meets on Saturdays or Sundays – we have smaller neighborhood groups that meet once a week too! Because of the holiday weekend – my brother invited his neighborhood group, and mine, over for a Pool Party! It was a great turnout with great people. :)

That’s it for photos this week!

now – GO – take some fun pics of the little things you do!

brenda

Moon Pops! and a Winner

2010-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

I love Moon Pops!
and if you follow me on Twitter - that is all the chatter these days.

especially since our trip to Fry's last Tuesday!

I had never heard of Moon Pops before and was a bit hesitant to try them when I saw them sitting there next to the Sushi. But I was pulled in when I saw the Nutella sitting next to the samples.

The Japanese guys were making their Sushi and making these round flakey cake things right there in the front of the store.

I was super duper excited when the Japanese guys said I could take a bag home with me!

And when I got home, I couldn't wait to show my kids what they were.

They are almost like a Rice Cake, very airy and have a similar taste. They don't really have a taste until you top it with your favorite toppings!

That evening at Fry's they had out Honey and Nutella. Of course, I opted for the chocolate.

But some of my creative Bloggy friends have tried things like....

jelly
peanut butter
cheese
cream cheese
almond butter
fruit
chocolate & bananas

I even tried looking up Moon Pops on the internet and couldn't find them anywhere. They are made with a special machine and the only place in town to find them is the Fry's at Tatum & Shea in Scottsdale.

I am guessing that the reason they call them "Moon Pops" is because they look the like the moon & they make a Pop! sound in your mouth when you eat them.

I am not sure why I am so intrigued by them - just something different, I guess.

But I would recommend giving them a try if you see some in your local grocery store.

What a great snack!

AND the WINNER of the $25 Fry's Food Gift Card is..................... #13 virgdan1

Congratulations!!! Please email me your mailing address and I will send that right out to you!!

Fry’s NEW Signature Marketplace Tour - Scottsdale

2010-09-01T17:49:00.001-07:00

& a $25.00 Fry’s Gift Card Giveaway!

I love shopping at Fry’s. It reminds me so much of back home in Powell, Ohio. Fry’s is known as Kroger there, and we had an awesome Kroger Marketplace on Sawmill Road that I Loved to frequent.

The difference between a regular Fry’s/Kroger Grocery Store and a Fry’s/Kroger Marketplace is that these stores have multiple departments - Along with a larger selection of grocery items, the Marketplaces contain and in-store jeweler, bank, Starbucks, as well as sections for toys, home furnishings, and home goods.

But we, here in the Phoenix area, are Super Lucky because the Fry’s at Shea & Tatum in Scottsdale has been remodeled into a NEW Signature Marketplace! and I was invited to take a sneak peek before they opened their doors to the public! :)

Here are a few Highlights of the New Fry’s Signature Marketplace:

Valet parking, covered parking, outdoor security system and a Car Wash! :)
Fry’s Fresh Attractions Cooking School – culinary learning from 2 of the Valley’s finest executive chefs. Children’s cooking school as well on Saturdays.
Wine cellar & Bar featuring more than 1,600 variety of wines
Nature’s Market – featuring a Large Organic Selection
Tortillaria offering warm, fresh flour tortillas
Foods from around the world and a sushi bar too
A large Kosher Department
Signature Bistro providing gourmet Chef-prepared meals to take home
Aged beef, American Kobe beef
Fresh seafood selection
Ethel M Chocolates
Dessert Shop featuring more than 300 pastries, cookies & pies
Certified Organic fruits and vegetables
Customized FTD floral arrangements and gourmet baskets
Starbucks Coffee Shop
Organic Juice Bar
Expaded Salad Bar, Olive Bar, & a Soup Bar too
Comfortable indoor seating with Large-screen TV and fireplace
Fred Meyer Jewelers
U.S. Bank

And there is so much more to see… make sure you click on Dealusional, SuperSavingSara and Mommy Mentor sites to see what they have to say about the New Signature Fry’s Store in Scottsdale!

The Fry’s at Shea & Tatum in Scottsdale is having some SPECIAL OFFERS this week to Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of thier Signature Marketplace Store – all you need to do is shop at this location and use your Fry’s VIP Card and you will be entered automatically to win:

50 weeks worth of groceries (value $5,000)
a jet ski and trailer (value $7,500)
a patio set and grill (value $500)
View Full Album
What a great experience we were given – not only did the people of Fry’s give us the 1st class treatment - it was fascinating to take a peek behind the scenes as well.

From the Culinary Kitchen - to teach those of us who want to learn more about cooking, to the Grandest Starbucks Lounge, to the Huge assortment of Beer and Wine, to the Very Well Designed Bookstore – Fry’s Marketplace has it all and More!
A grocery destination like no other, I encourage all to take a peek!

It's Giveaway Time!!!

I am giving away a $25 Gift Card to shop at your Local Fry’s Market!

To ENTER – watch the Slideshow above and leave me a comment telling me why you would love to visit the New Fry’s Signature Marketplace in Scottsdale, AZ.

(winner will be chosen by random.org on Monday, Sept 6th - Labor Day)

Ready….. Set…… Enter!

The Pefect Stack

2010-08-31T13:04:00.001-07:00

Organizing Shirts with Chad

Oh Boy – I love my Husband. He cracks me up.

This, I would like to share with you because it makes me smile. :) he makes me smile.

On this particular weekend morning, we stayed in bed - I woke to Chad organizing his already organized shirts. The only thing I had near me was my phone, so I started taping (please excuse the fuzzy quality.)

In all realness – I am actually very jealous of his retentiveness. I wish I had just an ounce of his desire to keep things in order.

Here’s to Organized Shirts!!!

brenda

PlayStation Move House Party

2010-08-30T12:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to HouseParty.com, I was one of the lucky ones chosen to preview the Playstation3 Move! It doesn’t arrive in stores until September 17th, but House Party sent me everything I needed to host a PlayStation Move Party at my house.
The box arrived 2 weeks before our party was scheduled. My son, Gavin, was super thrilled when it arrived on our doorstep. He immediately opened it to see what was included in our party kit.
We already had the PlayStation3 console, but they sent me:

2 PlayStation Move motion controllers
A PlayStation Move eye camera
Game Demos
A Pack of Sports champions Frisbees
The Shoot Photo Frames
PlayStation Move quick start guide & product information
2 coupons for 2 free 12 packs of Coca-Cola
a $5 Subway Gift Card
PlayStation Move Party Pins
PlayStation Move Napkins
PlayStaion Move VIP bracelets
PlayStation Move Can Grips

We set the PlayStation Move up and played some of the demo games. We were immediately fascinated by the image quality and the graphics. We kept comparing it to the Wii system and thought that this would definitely be more functional than the Wii. While the kids were playing, I was taking notes on how I was going to set up this party.
To start – Swag Bags! who doesn’t love swag? I took most of the goodies House Party sent me and put them in these bags. I also included candy treats for the whole family and the recipes of some of the goodies I baked for the party! (the Mom’s appreciated that)
My kitchen was overloaded with yummies! I made a few of the recipes that House Party recommended along with a few goodies of my own. You can view a couple of the recipes HERE and HERE.
As the guests arrived they were greeted with the Welcome Sign that I printed off from House Party.
The kids were given the PlayStation Move VIP bracelets.

And each person who came in was given a name tag with their GAMER NAME on it. This was so fun. Some of the names were:
0 Gravid D
Stone Falcon
Desert Princess
Fire Tamer 29
Mind Savage
Tornado Tamer
Vampire Chipmunk
The Razz

We have such great neighbors and friends. They all arrived with their families for a fun afternoon of gaming. :) First, we previewed the demo video explaining how the PlayStation Move works and some of the fun games you can play with the PSMove.
Then it was all action! We took turns playing the games and playing for prizes. The person who scored the most points playing each individual game – won a prize! I gave away the Coca-Cola Free 12 Pack coupons and the $5 Subway gift card along with the game posters that were hanging all through the house. Shout Out to GAMESTOP for supplying the Posters!! YAY!

It was Fun for all Ages!! From Grandma to toddler. We all giggled and had a great time.

As everyone was getting ready to leave… I had them fill out a comment card so I could get everyone’s feedback.
I asked:
What Wow’d you about PlayStation Move? and here were some of the responses:

“I liked the image of the player being projected on the screen.”
“Very impressed with the precise realistic movements.”
“Seeing the actual racquet in my hand and seeing myself doing it.”
“Loved the graphics and the way the controller turned into the “tool” needed to play.”
“When you twiset the remote, the racquet twists too.”
“The fact that I do not need to buy accessories for the games.”
“Better graphics than the Wii, great responsiveness in the controllers.”

I also asked How cool was PSMove on a scale of 1 – 5 (1=dislike to 5=want one!)

13 people gave it a 5 & 3 people gave it a 4!

All in all – the party was a great success. Everyone spoke of how fun the games were and how nice it was to get together and play video games. They even commented on the food and were happy I included the recipes in their Swag Bags.

Thank You House Party and PlayStation for a Great Day!!

brenda

Outdoor Spaces

2010-08-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hello All

I was just nudged by a couple of friends to enter the "Kirklands.com Community Challenge" by submitting pictures to MyKirklands.com of my outdoor living space.

You remember that post right? Cost Saving Cozy Backyard Living.

I just submitted my picture so Click Here to see my Cozy space posted on the Kirklands Community Website. :) It is posted under BrendaReed - be sure to click the LoveThis button to give my picture an extra heart! <3!

You can enter pictures of your backyard living space too! Join the Kirkland's Community and submit your pictures there for a chance to win a $200 Kirkland's Gift Card!

have a great day!

brenda

Week in Pics: Sickness, Proudness & Slow Clocks

2010-08-24T11:16:00.001-07:00

Monday: It is so sad when your child is sick. Gavin had a fever all day today and missed his first day of drum auditions. It was looking like he was going to miss day 2 of auditions as well and if he does, he won’t be able to play drums. We did everything we could all day long to get this boy better.

Tuesday: Even though he had a fever into the evening on Monday – he woke up wide-eyed and ready to go to school on Tuesday. I worried about him all day, thinking I would get a call from the school to come get my sick boy… but he made it through the whole day. He auditioned for drums and then he came Home at the end of the day with a BIG smile – because he made it!!! :) we are so proud of our drummer boy!!

Wednesday: Not much going on this week – so I thought I would post a picture of what’s in Gavin’s Lunch Box!

Thursday: Random Pic of My Mom & Dad’s dog, Gizmo. He is such a good boy. He loves to bring his toys outside with him when he goes out to do potty. Here he is running around with his elephant pal.

Friday: Time felt slow today. It was a difficult day for me. One of the hardest “Mom” days I have had in a while. We, as parents, don’t know everything and we try to be the best we can be. It is hard to get that across to the kids who think we know everything.

Saturday: On a more positive note… I was chosen by HouseParty.com to host a PlayStation Move Preview Party. I was sent a FREE box with party supplies and the PS Move components and invited friends over to play it with us. It was a fun afternoon hanging out and playing video games with some neighbor families. :)

Sunday: My friend Kelli is having her 2nd baby this week! A Baby Boy! We got together and hung out for a mini baby shower on Sunday. She is so ready for this baby and I am so excited to meet him.

Want to link up your project life pics here as well?

would love to see! :)

brenda

Cheddar Mac & Cheese

2010-08-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

Just made this mac & cheese for a party we had over the weekend – it was so easy and everyone liked it – hope you do too.

1⁄2 pound short pasta, cooked as per package directions
1 cup breadcrumbs
1⁄3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
3 cups regular, 2% or fat-free evaporated milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Reserve. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour and cook over low heat stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (750 mL) of Cheddar cheese, stirring until melted. Stir mixture into pasta. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese, cover with breadcrumb mixture. Bake in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

And you can find More delicious recipes from Alicia’s Tasty Tuesday Bloghop below:

enjoy

brenda

And the Winner is….

2010-08-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

The winner of the CucinoPro Cordless Crepe Maker – thanks to CSNStores.com, is:

Congratulations 2GirlsonaBench!!!

Please contact me to claim your prize before Wednesday August 25th.

To all those who entered… Thank You so Much!! No Worries – I will be hosting another giveaway here soon!! :)

brenda

New Home Welcome Basket

2010-08-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

This is a gift basket that I put together yesterday for my realtor friend. She had her first sale and asked me to put together a gift basket for her to give to her clients.

When I make baskets, I usually just put together things that I would like to have

and hope that the client likes them too.

This basket includes:

a rustic Bird House - so cute with it's tin roof and tin flower
a brown vase holding a bouquet of silk flowers
tucked in the back is 2 rustic wooden butterfly wall hooks
a bag of bird seed
and the box holds a thank you card and a stack of business cards

I had a lot of fun putting this together - I look forward to working with her and making more baskets!
Oh yeah - if you live in the Phoenix area and need a Great Realtor (& you could get a great gift basket like this one as well), her name is Melissa Dierks (623) 643-1027.

& In case you didn't already know....

I am hosting a Crepe Maker Giveaway

Click Here for more info!

brenda

Our Bizarre Bakery Bar: A School Project

2010-08-18T16:54:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to share this with you… but, I am kinda embarrassed. You see, when your kid is in 6th grade, it’s kinda not-so-cool if Mom helps out with your school projects….. but I just couldn’t help myself.

After all – I live to create memories for my kids…. and this one will probably be embedded forever!!

So, at the end of the school year this past year – the 6th Graders at our neighborhood school got to “OPEN” their own stores for other students to buy stuff. It was an Economics Project of sorts. The students earned faux money all quarter by showing good behavior, turning in their homework on time, and having good attendance. They also had to spend their money if they had bad behavior or needed to use the restroom during class time. The students had the whole quarter to decide what they wanted to sell in their stores… and you should have seen the excitement in my eyes when my daughter asked me to help her and her friend Jordan come up with an idea!
I had tons of them….

They decided on a Bakery!! :)
The name of their store tells it all.

“ Our Bizarre Bakery Bar” was born!

The girls worked for weeks, a little each day:
coming up with a logo, how the display table was going to be set up & printing out labels and signage

and then the day before showtime… we baked.

We baked brownies on a stick, chocolate stuffed pie crust lollipops, dazzle decorated chocolate covered strawberries, Puppy Chow, and a “Grand Prize Cake”.

We even wrapped scrapbook paper around the mini water bottles, and made a really cool “OPEN” sign!

They sold every last crumb of Goodies! The girls were so excited to come home and share with me how their “Store” did!

I am glad they will have the memory of “Our Bizarre Bakery Bar” as a Great Day in 6th Grade.

Still haven’t entered my GIVEAWAY? What are you waiting for… CLICK HERE!

brenda

Week in Pics: Back 2 School, a Birthday, & Hot Stuff

2010-08-17T08:34:00.001-07:00

GO AHEAD – TAKE A PEEK! but…. Before You LEAVE be sure to:

{Check out My GIVEAWAY!}

Monday – The kids headed back to school this week. We live close to my brother so the kids get to ride bikes to school together. Here they all are… they are so ready to go back and see their friends.

Tuesday – Our Dog Lilly turned 5 on Tuesday! I like to do a mini birthday celebration complete with birthday hat, cake and balloons! The kids like it too.

Wednesday – the Hot Peppers my neighbor gave me have been decorating my kitchen so nice…. as the stems harden the kids have been hanging them off of the fruit & veggie tower in the kitchen. I thought it looked interesting.

Thursday – Our favorite beverages! I just did a review of coke and posted it on my blog HERE, but the image I used for the review makes for the perfect picture of the day. Who knows if these will always be our favorites? :)

Friday – The kids love to cuddle with Lilly. Sometimes she doesn’t mind. Other times…. well, I will try to capture a picture of that for you to see as well.

Saturday – Gavin likes his morning eggs covered in Hot Sauce. He learned about Hot Sauce from my Dad and he loves everything his “Papa” loves. So cute.

Sunday – It is so nice to not have anything to do. We headed over to my brother’s house for a swim. They have a great yard – super BIG for the kids to play. They also have a tetherball. It is great for Izzy because it is an easy way for her to work on her volleyball skills.

It was a great 1st week of school. Took some adjusting for us all – for me to wake up early in the morning and for the kids to go to bed earlier in the evening. But, by the end of the week we hit our stride. We are looking forward to a great school year!

happy picture taking everyone!

OH & Before You GO>>> Be SURE to ENTER my GIVEAWAY!! It’s a Good ONe!!

GO HERE!!!

brenda

Yummy Crepes & a Giveaway!

2010-08-16T12:28:00.001-07:00

I recently attended a Mom’s Night Out event hosted by The Scottsdale Mom’s Blog at Chez Vous Creperie. There were over 50 women in this small little creperie, they had to move out all of the bistro sets to make room! We had a lot of fun socializing, but I had even more fun checking out the Chez Vous menu and munching on all of the crepe samples they were bringing out for us. Oh my, they were so D-licious. It reminded me of when I was little and Mom would make us crepes for breakfast.

My brother and I would load them with powdered sugar and syrup while my Mom & Dad would decorate theirs with all sorts of fruit and jellies. It just made me realize…that my kids are now 10 & 12 and I haven’t introduced them to crepes yet! OH NO!

So this morning…ta dah – crepes for breakfast!

The recipe for crepes:

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp melted butter
4 eggs

whisk all ingredients but flour in mixing bowl, slowly add flour and whisk till smooth without lumps. Cool in fridge for 1 hour.
These can be served just plain rolled up and topped with syrup for breakfast, or you can stuff them with cold cuts for lunch, or you can make them into some super yummy desserts!

AND now the fun part…. Thanks to CSNStores.com,

I have a CucinaPro Cordless Crepe Maker to GIVEAWAY to one of my followers!!

Turn your kitchen into a French bistro with this charming CucinoPro Cordless Crepe Maker. Whether making yummy breakfast crepes with fresh fruit or ending a meal with a sinfully delicious dessert crepe, this crepe maker will make you a gourmet chef from morning to night.

You may Enter to Win up to 5 Times!

REQUIRED - Be a FOLLOWER (Google Friend Connect on the Right) & leave me a comment telling me you did!

EXTRA ENTRY OPTIONS – {can be done only after initial entry above is done & leave a separate comment for each}

Leave me a Friendly Message (in Comments below)
Like Peek at My Paper on Facebook
Mention this Giveaway on your Blog
Tweet about it! (mentioning @peekatmypaper)

I will contact the winner on August 23rd!

:)
Isn't that so exciting? – Now you can make some yummy crepes for your family too!
brenda

My Thirst Quenchi-ness Beverage of Choice: Coca-Cola

2010-08-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

BzzAgent recently contacted me to write a review of a product. There were 5 choices of products to review, but I knew immediately that Coca-Cola was the one. I chose Coca-Cola because 1) I always have Coke in my fridge, and 2) It is my most favorite beverage of choice!

It is so HOT here in Arizona, especially in the summertime & this means one thing - We Arizonans must stay hydrated & refreshed. I could reach in my fridge and grab a nice cold Dasani water, and many times I do, but when I want something tasty - my most favorite beverage is a can of Coke.

I like Coca-Cola because it has a reliable taste. It has been around for as long as I can remember and the taste has always been the same. When I reach in for a can of Coke, I know that it is a quality product that many others try to mimic - but nothing quite compares. I have tried those other cola products and I just don't like the taste. I like the Coke taste - it is not too sweet.

I grab a Coca-Cola because I don't drink coffee and the caffeine gives me a burst of energy. Just about lunchtime is when I need a boost to get me through the afternoon, the caffeine in Coke wakes up my brain and keeps me going through the afternoon.

And I choose Coca-Cola because they price it just right. I am a very frugal shopper - always looking for a great deal. I can always find Coca-Cola on sale somewhere around town. Coke also offers My Coke Rewards and I collect my rewards to get free 12-packs of Coke! Why settle for a generic when the Real Deal is right there on Sale!

Oh and one more thing... I like the can. The shiny Red can is a symbol of thirst quenchi-ness all around the world! :)

I'd love to know.... Do you like Coke too?

brenda

Found.

2010-08-12T12:07:00.001-07:00

Oh how I wish money wasn’t an issue…

I went shopping with my friend Cherice yesterday and was LOST in dreamland when we entered THIS store in Downtown Mesa. AAAaahh. Everything in there was major eye candy.

Feast upon these pics…

I just love the way they did these little groupings of accessories – such inspiration!

And this… this bedroom is so dreamy – I melted when I saw this…

And then we hit a store called “Crowded House” and I found these awesome accessories!

I did end up making a purchase… I really was intrigued by this Japanese Floor Desk. As you know, they sit on the floor so this desk is made for students to use while sitting on the floor, but my daughter likes to do her homework while sitting on the couch – I thought this would be not only a conversation piece, but something practical for her as well.

isn’t it just so cute!

happy decorating…

brenda

Molly Mutt Doggy Duvet

2010-08-10T09:02:00.001-07:00

Lilly has been Loving her New Doggy Duvet! and I love it too!

Here’s why…

Just take out the guts of the bed – wash and whoallah – A NEW clean Dog Bed!!!

and I just love the fabrics too!

Check out this cute Molly Mutt video:

:)
You can get your own Molly Mutt Dog Duvet Below!

Today through August 16th, OpenSky is offering Free Shipping.

just use the coupon code FREESHIPPING at checkout.

$20
Your Hand in Mine Dog Duvet
small
22"x 27"x 5"

$30 Title Track Dog Duvet
medium/large
27"x 36"x 5"

Week in Pics: School, a Leak, & Fortunes

2010-08-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Monday – Started off the week making this bulletin board for my daughter’s room. I have been admiring something similar to it in the Pottery Barn Catalogs, but didn’t want to spend the money. I have a quick and easy tutorial on how to make it HERE.

Tuesday – My daughter, Izzy, and a few of her volleyball teammates attended the Club Zia Volleyball Camp this week. The camp ran Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday for 7 hours a day and included lunch. The girls were hesitant about going because of the long days, but ended up having a good time!

Wednesday – Today we went school supply shopping. We laid everything out on the dining room table and organized our lists. Then shoved it into the backpacks. That made for some heavy backpacks! You can see tips for getting ready for school Here and Here and Here.

Thursday – I took the kids to Pei Wei today for lunch. We love Chinese Food! :) and Fortune Cookies! Gavin opened 2 of his cookies and was excited when he saw his fortunes. We will definitely keep these! (Gavin Loves Baseball)

Friday – Tonight was the Meet the Teacher Night and Ice Cream Social at school. This is how bad my kids are at allowing me to take pictures…… I tried a few times to get them to stand and get ice cream so I could take my POTD, but they didn’t want their picture taken –so they didn’t even go up to get ice cream! Aaargh. They settled on stopping by the side of the school so that I could snap this one – of course, no one was around.

Saturday – Chad has been hounding the kids about shortening their shower times. He said the water bill was significantly higher last month and thought it was due to the length of the kids showers – Well, our neighbor asked to borrow our lawnmower and when we went to the side of the house to get it, we found HUGE puddles of water – we found a huge hole in the irrigation tubing. :( Chad fixed it and apologized to the kids.

Sunday – Last day of Summer Break! Mom & Dad invited us over for a back to school swim and BBQ! The pool temp is so nice right now – everyone got in…. even the dogs!

I luv taking pictures!

Hope these inspire you to take some too!

:)
bren

Part 3: Getting Ready for School – Back on Schedule

2010-08-09T18:17:00.001-07:00

Wow!

That summer just flew by.

School started for us today. Last night, we tucked the kids into bed ON TIME! My husband and I walked downstairs after kissing the kids good-night and just looked at each other like – what do you want to do now? This summer has been pretty laid back – the kids have been going to bed at random times, staying up late. Last night, they didn’t even put up a fuss. I think they were anxious and excited to start school again. They even asked to go to bed!? – Yeah – they did!!! and it was only 8:30. The house was quiet by 9pm!

Earlier in the week we had a discussion during dinner about the Daily Expectations For the School Year. I think it is important to communicate with your kids what you expect the daily school routines to be.

Here are our expectations for my 5th & 7th Graders:

Homework – to be done immediately after you get home from school. I don’t want you to be rushing to get it done in the evenings.
Friends – You may play with your friends after your homework is completed and before dinner. No friends after dinner.
Lunch - You are to make your lunches while Mom is making dinner. Please include one sandwich, one fruit, one vegetable, chips, one sweet item & a juice box.
Kitchen is Closed after Mom and Dad clean it up after dinner. You may grab a dessert as long as you eat it before 8pm.
Lights Out at 9pm – that means close all books and electronic devices by this time… you may want to start going to bed at 8:30 if you would like to read or play before going to sleep.
Wake-up – I will make sure you are awake by 7 am. Have your outfit for the morning already pulled the night before.
Showers – Shower in the morning for my 5th grader, as long as you don’t have any sporting activities the night before. If you do have a sporting event, shower when you get home in the evening. My 7th Grader must shower every morning no matter what.
Morning Routine – After you are dressed, find yourself some breakfast, shove your lunchbox in your backpack and leave for school at 7:40. I usually am downstairs with them while they are fixing to leave for school. Kisses and have a great day!

I highly recommend discussing your expectations for the school day with your kids. Kids like routines and schedules and discussing these things saves you from those unnecessary arguments.

brenda

Fishies Have Personalities too...

2010-08-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

If you recall my previous post... A Fishy Visitor, I was asked to babysit a friend's fish for a whole month!

Well - GOOD NEWS! I am pleased to announce that Cookie survived my care and is safely home with his family.. and I actually found so much pleasure in fishy-sitting, that I took on a second fish to stay with us for 2 of those weeks.

Another neighbor was heading to Canada and asked if Mr. Blue could stay with us while they were out of town. Being that I had some success with "Cookie" so far - how hard could it be to take care of a second?

It wasn't hard at all. As a matter of fact...

when I woke up every morning - little fishies greeted me with much flutter and brought a smile to my face...
as I made lunch in the afternoons - they both would come to the sides of their bowls and watch me...
as I did the dishes in the sink next to them - they would watch...
and while I cooked dinner... they wanted to watch me as well....

I found myself talking to them at times and I even willingly attempted to clean the fishy bowls with pleasure!

The funny thing about having 2 fishies at once is that I noticed they had different personalities:

Cookie - He is very friendly, will swim up to kiss your finger, greets you with wiggles, watches you, loves to eat at every feeding, and is a quiet eater.

Mr. Blue - He is also somewhat friendly, a little slow, easily startled, sleeps a lot, will greet you if awake, watches you when you feed him and is a noisy eater!

I briefly spoke to Cookie's owner, Jacob, on the phone while he was out of town.

(Jacob is 9)

I told him that Cookie was doing well and that there were no worries here.

I told him about Cookie having a friend over too.

Jacob then stressed some concern that they weren't in the same bowl, which I said, "No, of course not." and reassured him that I knew the rules of 2 Beta fish not being next to each other or they would die.

He was relieved of that.

He did ask me if the other fish was a boy or a girl - and I said that I wasn't sure.

Then I asked him how I could tell.

He responded, "well, the boy fish are much more beautiful than the girl fish... they have to be pretty so they can attract the girls." I liked his answer :). And after looking more closely at the fish....

sorry Jacob, Cookie is a Girl and Mr. Blue is a boy!

here's to pretty boys!!

brenda

Join Ebates - Refer Friends & Get a FREE iPad

2010-08-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ebates is Awesome!

Most of us shop online & Next time you do - I highly encourage you to shop thru Ebates!

Ebates pays YOU cash back with every purchase you make online!
AND Just by signing up - You will get $5 cash INSTANTLY!

There are over 1,200 stores to choose from:
Target
Old Navy
Kohls
Ebay
WalMart
JCPenney
and many more....

Just go to Ebates first, then click on your favorite store - after you finish shopping you will see your savings put back into your account. I just love it when I get a check in the mail.
Saving money is so fun!

I am so excited for their NEW referral program

If you refer 50 people to Ebates who make a purchase over $20,
Ebates will send you a free iPad!

I am on my way to winning a FREE iPad -

click here to join me!

brenda

Week in Pics: Lilly & the Kiddos

2010-08-02T23:39:00.001-07:00

Monday – Can you tell we love our dog? This week Lilly is in the spotlight 2x! oh boy. She cracks us up. This is Lil with her head hanging out the window as we drive to Grandma’s House. She Loves riding in the car – and loves the wind in her hair! We laugh at her face. :)

Tuesday – The Toy Story Lego's are just too cute! I picked up a couple packages for Gavin to put together before he leaves on his trip to California. He is such a pro at putting them together.

Wednesday – Gavin was invited by his friend, Cooper, to travel with his family to California for 5 days. It was a tough decision for him to leave home and even tougher on Chad and I to let him go…. but, Jeff & Jana are great – and we knew he would be in good hands with them. So we sent him on a vacation without us. He had a great time surfing the waves and playing in the sand.

Thursday – Here in Arizona – we don’t get rain often… so when we do – We Take Pictures! The Monsoons have been coming for the past few days, which gives us some awesome skies and sunsets! Here we are in the car and could see the rain ahead of us.

Friday – Izzy’s best friend, Jordan, moved away today. She moved back to her home state of Mississippi. :( It was nice to get the girls together for one last giggle-fest! She and her family will be missed.

Saturday – My nephew Jacob turned 9! He’s almost to the double digits!! They grow so fast. We had fun at his Birthday Party playing our own version of Silent Library. The kids had fun with all the yucky challenges.

Sunday – I told you we were obsessed with our dog. The highlight of our day was me vacuuming, but instead of a picture of that – it is more interesting to see the dog hiding under the bed while I vacuum. She does not like it.

And that is it for this week!

be sure to take some pics of unordinary things this week!

brenda

Part 2: Getting Ready for School – Shopping Expectations

2010-07-31T17:35:00.001-07:00

I am not an expert in Parenting, but I wanted to share with you some of the tips I have learned through experiences with my kids, when it comes to getting ready for school to start.

New School Year! New binders, New Pencils, New Outfits, New School Everything…This rolls through kids minds every year.

Before you know it… $100 is gone and you haven’t even begun to make a dent in getting ready to go back to school.

My kids are old enough now that we are becoming pro’s at conserving resources when getting ready to go back to school. Setting the expectations with your kids now, before you go shopping, helps keep things a little less hectic.

Considerations for you before you venture out:

Backpacks – really? last years will work just fine.

Clothing – 1st day of school outfit , a must for the 1st day of School Picture! For everything else, let the seasons change before buying more.

Shoes – One of the best times of the year to buy! Seems like my kids feet grow the most over the summertime.

School Supplies – Raid last year’s inventory first, then fill in the gaps.

Lunch Boxes – please see “backpacks”

set expectations – kids are happy – money saved - you are smiling :)

happy shopping!

brenda

my own little shop….

2010-07-29T17:28:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed that my “Something Exciting is Coming” badge there on the side panel has recently transformed into a Countdown Clock! ------------------------------->>>

That is because Something Exciting IS Coming

and it will be here when the clock says 0:00

What is it you may be wondering?…..

Well, A new concept for online shopping has been created!

and it is called

So many people prefer to shop online – I am one of them. But it just isn’t the same as wandering through a store with a friend. It is very isolating.

What if you could shop online with a friend? Now, doesn’t that sound fun? Wouldn’t it be even MORE fun if you could Shop with ME?

Starting August 10th – You will have access to my Little Online Store, where you will find some of my favorite things! :)

You will find things like:

bead board wallpaper Vinyl word Art & cupcake stands!

My Blog will not change at all – Everything Here will remain the same. :)

Just look to the side for the RED Shop Open Sky sign to take a peek at my favorite things.

… and I invite you to come shop with me!

after all, buying from someone you know and trust is the best way to shop.

brenda

Classico Pesto Pasta with Chicken

2010-07-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

Using Classico makes this meal so easy to make and it is D-Licious too!

Serves 4:
3 raw chicken breasts
Classico Traditional Basil Pesto
Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Olive oil
1 box of spaghetti
parmesan cheese

Bring a Pot of Water to boil for your pasta – Cook pasta as recommended.

Slice up your chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces. At the same time, preheat a skillet with 2 Tbl olive oil. Add chicken pieces and cook til white. Drain.

Add 2 Tbl Classico Pesto Sauce to Chicken and stir til covered. Then add 2 Tbl Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and stir in.

Put your Pasta in a Serving Dish and Add 2 Tbl Olive Oil to Coat. Then Pour in your Chicken Pesto on top of the Pasta and Combine.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and Serve!

enjoy!

brenda

Mantel Before & After

2010-07-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of Mantel Decorating

If you missed out on Part 1 - The Inspiration... visit here

Before:

After:

The total cost for my Mantel makeover was approximately $30.00.

I purchased new candles for the candlesticks, a new vase for the flowers, and the blue hourglass.

Yay!

brenda

Peek at My Paper

Welcome JunkintheTrunkTrio Followers!!

Our Pinterest Projects Revealed

Letter Wall

Chevron Wall Makeover

Only the Best Baby Shower Ever!

Some GRAND News!

Old Baseball Jersey Curtain Panels

A Need to Breathe

iPhone Creativeness!

Free Photography Class

CSN GIVEAWAY - How about a Doorbell?

Week in Pics: The Start of a New Year!

Project Life is Back in Stock

Days of the Week Words on my Project Life Pics

Change the Way you Scrapbook!!

Project Life Past & Present

A Week in Pics: Highlights of December

Project Life 2011 is HERE!!

Oh boy...

Our Christmas Mantel

Reindeer Sign and a Winner!

A Week in Pics X 2

Doorbell, Thermostat Solution: Frame-it-in

Fini Fini Crochet & Knit Creations Giveaway

Your Help Please!

Project Life 2011 Sneak Peek!

Week in Pics: Donuts, Oranges & Pot Pie

Realtor Gift – New Home Front Door Wreath

I’m Here!

Time to Think about Christmas Cards?

Week in Pics: Work, Weeds & Hauntings

Photography Workshop & Giveaway!

DEANNA!!!

HELLO my name is Brenda

Week in Pics: Loving Every Minute of it!!

My Ultimate Family Vacation

Lexus Safety Experience

Week in Pics: Happenings & a few Leftovers

Project Smile – Oct 1!

Week in Pics: A week full of Volleyball & babies!

Some Answers to Your ?’s

Project Life Kit Sale!!

Week in Pics: Fall Sports, Home Dec & A Boo Crew

Family Photo Shoot

A Lamp Shade Makeover

Buckeyes Recipe

Week in Pics: Labor Day, Sports & Photography

Fall Finds!

Cool Etsy Stuff that makes me smile :)

Week in Pics: Play Time, Critters & a Birthday

Moon Pops! and a Winner

Fry’s NEW Signature Marketplace Tour - Scottsdale

& a $25.00 Fry’s Gift Card Giveaway!

50 weeks worth of groceries (value $5,000)

a jet ski and trailer (value $7,500)

a patio set and grill (value $500) View Full Album What a great experience we were given – not only did the people of Fry’s give us the 1st class treatment - it was fascinating to take a peek behind the scenes as well.

It's Giveaway Time!!!

The Pefect Stack

Organizing Shirts with Chad

PlayStation Move House Party

Outdoor Spaces

Week in Pics: Sickness, Proudness & Slow Clocks

Cheddar Mac & Cheese

And the Winner is….

New Home Welcome Basket

Our Bizarre Bakery Bar: A School Project

Week in Pics: Back 2 School, a Birthday, & Hot Stuff

GO HERE!!!

Yummy Crepes & a Giveaway!

My Thirst Quenchi-ness Beverage of Choice: Coca-Cola

Found.

Molly Mutt Doggy Duvet

Week in Pics: School, a Leak, & Fortunes

Part 3: Getting Ready for School – Back on Schedule

Fishies Have Personalities too...

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Week in Pics: Lilly & the Kiddos

Part 2: Getting Ready for School – Shopping Expectations

my own little shop….

a patio set and grill (value $500)
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What a great experience we were given – not only did the people of Fry’s give us the 1st class treatment - it was fascinating to take a peek behind the scenes as well.