I"m here.... really.

We are here in ID visiting family and it's been really fun. But here's our trip in a nutshell so far....
Arrive after a 15 hour travel day, nice rest. Wake up, baby gets flu. go on a mini vacation with fam and boy gets flu too. Oh- and not to mention hubby gets it too. Then we come home early. baby isn't sleeping, day after we get home, i get flu. nasty stuff. still can't sleep. baby won't eat or sleep well. I get over flu, but now have a massive cold. Niece gets flu too.
no one else is sick (knock on wood) Oh- and should i mention that i've lost about 5-7 pounds though? think it's good- still not sure though. lol

ALthough, we did have a fun christmas. guess it was more laid back than what it normally would have been had not some of us been so sick. oh well. things are looking up though. kids have played in snow and went sledding, built a snowman, and had fun with grandparents.

Think it will take at least a week for grandpa and grandma detox to take place once we get home though. hahaha :)

ok- just letting you know i'm still here. I'll post more and pics once i'm feeling like it. lol ;)

Hope ya'll had a Merry Christmas!

Projects

Well- i'm a day late, but i promised i'd show these, so here they are!
These are pages I've done from the new Piggy Tales Flip Book. Totally cool. You can check it out here.



Then I did these using the December Kit from the Nook. Like I said- if you haven't signed up for this yet, PLEASE DO. you won't be dissapointed. These kits are seriously amazing. Stay tuned, i'll be doing at least one more project using this amazing kit!

Tip #1

Ok- for the last post... thanks so much for all the advice! haven't decided what to do yet exactly, but i have plenty of suggestions! So thanks girlies!

Now I've been thinking- somethings are coming up in my life (like moving somewhere and finishing school in 6 months) that has me thinking a lot about simplifying life. I'd like to consider myself pretty clean and organized. I have my share of thigns on the floor and piles here and there, but for the most part, they are only visible to me- behind closed doors. haha
So here's my idea- I'm goign to start posting "tips" on ways to simplify life and things. These are things I've done in that past, things I've heard of and always wanted to try, and things that I just plain need to do. So stay tuned if you want to get some tips. They'll be organizational, crafty, cleaning, fun, etc. you name it.... i'll try and post something for it all.

So my first tip.......
This comes from my mom. And being that we are leaving to go home for Christmas in less than a week- i've been thinking a lot about cleaning and packing. This is one of the best things i think iv'e ever done with going on trips.
When it comes to my kids, you always need to pack extra clothes right? Well I always hated that I'd throw all their clothes into one suitcase and then once we arrived where we were going, it'd all be jumbled and I'd be the one going through it all to decifer what they'd wear and when.
Like I said, my mom did this and thanks to her, I do it too and don't plan on stopping for a long time! (ok- so like get on with it already right? sheesh..... :)- )
WHen packing your kids things (specifically clothes), put a shirt, pants, underwear, and socks togheter and put them into a gallon size ziplock bag. Squeeze the air out of course. then pack the bags. That way- if you have to live out of a suitcase, all you have to do is have each kid pull out one bag and dress themselves! At the end of the day- they put the clothes back in the bag. Now, you know which ones are clean and which are dirty because THEY put the clothes back in the bag. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy right? Saves a lot of time and effort when it comes to organizing and having the kids dress themselves while on vacation. One less thing to worry about.

Well- there ya go. My first tip. I have a few more up my sleeve, but i'll save them for another day. Maybe when I'm not so tired and need to go to bed. lol


I was able to scrap almost all day yesterday! very excited. I'll be revealing my mini album for Piggy Tales tomorrow and a couple more projects. So fun!

Have I mentioned?

I cut my hair again? I did it about 2 weeks ago. I'm having Love/Hate relationship with it right now.

Loved it when I first got it cut. Then I slowly realized that it looked nothing like the picture that i wanted. THEN, come to find out, I only like it if it's done one way and one way only. So- I'm a one hit wonder folks until it grows out some and I can get it to where I like it.

Here's a pic of the day i cut it. it looked way cute with a headband.. but for some reason- it doesn't anymore. :( and then here's a pic of what i wanted. Honestly.. i don't see a resemblance. I feel like a have a mullet. shouldn't be funny- but it is.

anyway... anyone have ideas?

Day 3: MGM Studios

Our last and final day was the best! We had another great nights sleep (thanks to all the walking and "long days") and packed up some snacks, and headed out the door.

We got to MGM Studios and realized right away that not even half the amount of people were there. The parking lot was not even nearly 1/4 full and the day looked bright. We got to the front, got in the park and headed down the main street.

We decided that since this park isn't known for it's rides.... lol.... we'd try to hit ALL of the shows. Our first stop, Beauty and the Beast. Now being that we saw Nemo on the first day, we had high hopes. And being that I've seen the broadway version of this show, i had high hopes too. I have to admit, i was dissapointed. SO wasn't as good as the broadway version (obviously), but it was cute and the kids liked it a lot. I wasn't warned to bring my good lens, and totally wished i had. but regardless, I got a few good shots.

After that show, we headed over to Playhouse Disney. Oh my word! If you have young kids.. this is an absolute must! I even had fun! Seeing my kids faces was completely priceless! It was a blast. So here's Bear in the Big Blue House. Or as Mia would say "bear bi bu house". hahaha

We then went immediately into the Little Mermaid show. Didn't get any good shots of that, but little girsl just love it. It was ok- was the least enjoyable one fore us. But still cute. Hailey got to see Ariel, guess that's all that mattered.

Then we went over to see the Star Wars things. Along the way we saw Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc., but those pics didn't turn out very good either. :( but it was still fun.

Have i mentioned that we haven't waited in a single line yet? it was AWESOME!

So on to Star Wars. Hailey and Kayleb were BARELY tall enough to go on this ride, so on they went with dad. It was one of those simulator rides, and Kayleb thought the entire thing was real. he can't stop talking about going into space and almost crashing. hahah- Hailey, didn't like it as much. she was covering her eyes the whole time. (surprise surprise)

Then we went to have lunch, and again, yet more hamburgers and fries. (man... i swear i will never eat a hamburger again!) but they sure had some good fruit! ;)

We went through the day hitting thigns here and there, walking around, eating ice cream. We accomplished our second goal and that was Buzz and Woody. So here's the proof of that!

The last and BEST thing of the day was the parade. And the park was decked out in Christmas decorations that were so pretty and this christmas parade was awesome. We sat on the curb an hour before it started, so we had awesome seats! Here's the best shots of the day. aren't they FABULOUS?!?!?! I have to admit that the villians are my favorite pics from this day! and for the first time too- Mia was actually happy the whole day. and here's proof too!

It's pretty sad that out of this enitre trip, this was the ONLY time we saw Mickey and Minnie. Oh well- it was fun anyway.

So there's our trip. Glad it's over, but almost want to still be there too! I know we'll take this vacation again. It will be a long time from now, but it was so fun- can't imagine us NOT going back. Now I have plenty of pictures to keep my busy scrapbooking for the next YEARS. hahaha!

Book Review: Daring Book for Girls

Ok- so check this book out. It was a fun book to read... seriously. When I first saw the book and the title, I was kind of put off with wondering what this book could have in store. I had heard that there had previously been a book similar to this, except for boys. It had done well, so I guess I had no reason to doubt it would be good.

As I started reading, I found myself laughing. It ended up bringin back fond memories of my childhood. Some things that i had actually forgotten! What I appreciated most about this book is that it helps any parent with girls, gear up and help them use their imagination to "play". Takes you back to four square, hopscotch, etc. Remeber back in our day when we didn't have video games and tv and electronic things to entertain us? I hope my daughters can use these games to teach their friends and have fun using their imaginations instead of relying on tv and toys to do it for them.

Another thing.... it's not exactly JUST FOR GIRLS. It can EASILY be applied to boys too. It's not all about dress ups and makeup and looking like a princess. This is more of an imagination guide. Very very intersting and helpful.

This is really a fun book. I'd recommend it to anyone who has kids and wants them to start getting their butts off the couch and having fun with other kids and not relying on THINGS to entertain them. I will be keeping this book in my collection and will be pulling it out in a few years when my daughters are old enough to understand these things and help them use their imagination even more.

Magic Kingdom: Day 2

Well, we were totally prepared to make this the funnest day out of the entire trip. It was, afterall, Magic Kingdom. And who in their right mind DOESN"T have fun there?

We couldn't have been more dead wrong!

Day started out well. The kids slept all night long, thanks in part to not sleeping the night before and having a long day the day before. It was beautiful weather, couldn't have asked for anything else.

The very first thing was that we saw these two guys before even entering the park. What could have been better? (except for all the Princesses, and Mickey and the gang all there waiting to greet us? haha)

We got into the park, and realized right away that the crowds were HUGE. Like.... not typical "low season" crowds. Well, there was this huge band there- have no clue who they were, but everyone else did. So by the time we actually cleared the crowds, we made our way through Cinderella's castle to the kids park. We immediately went to Dumbo Ride first. Afterall- it was only a 10 minute wait. NOT!!! We ended up waiting in line for 35 + minutes and baby was a complete monster the whole time. So we get on the rediculously short ride and get off. I snapped this picture. Baby enjoyed the ride... just not me taking her picture!

Then we went over to the Carosel.....we got right on thank heavens! And the kids totally loved it. And once again, baby really did enjoy this one a lot- just didn't want me taking her dang picture again. (sheesh.. what WAS I thinking?)

We proceeded through the day with cranky kids, long lines, and a few shows. We tried to go on rides when the timing was right. It's a Small World was a HUGE hit obviously. no waiting, nice and cool inside, and tons to look at. So that was fun. We were told that going in the Haunted House would be fine for the kids as long as you explained that the ghosts were fake. Well- we talked and talked about it before going in and the kids were excited. We get in there, and not 2 seconds later, the lights go out and Hailey starts crying her eyes out. Kayleb acted scared, but didn't cry. Mia just thought it was cool. So we go through the ride, Hailey crying the whole time, Kayleb covering his eyes most of the time, and Mia just watching in awe of it all. Funny thing is, this was the highlight of our day. hahaha And the funniest thing is that Kayleb will talk of nothing else. The "scary ride" was the best and nothing can beat it.

And here's a pic I took of baby's day highlight. Somone gave her stickers and luckily it provided HOURS of entertainment for her.

We then went and saw Minnie Mouse's House. It was adorable. She wasn't there, which was a bummer, but it was still fun. Here's a few shots of the kids during that whole thing.

And last but certainly not least, we saw the Princesses. Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle to be exact. Waiting in line wasn't too bad- it was actually pretty good. And once we got in there- oh my word. THe world must have just stopped because my kids were so entranced, they seriously didn't know what to think. It was meeting famous people who they see on tv and in movies all the time! Mia was adorable, so ran up to each one of them and gave them huge hugs. Hailey was beaming the entire time, and kayleb just liked the attention he got from girls. hehe. So here's the pics that goes along with the adventure. Kayleb and Belle obviously have a thing going......

And as we are walking out, we see Mary Poppins. And although Hailey and Kayleb knew who she was, Mia didn't and freaked out. And I think she had reason to too. Mary was kinda on the freaky side.... (????) regardless, we took a picture.

And something funny: about 98% of everyone who works in this place has an accent of some sort. They are from EVERYWHERE. Then the ONE person who's supposed to have an accent, doesn't and has to fake it! hahaha- thing is, she did an AWEFUL job of it. it was pretty funny.

After this, we let them all choose out a toy of their choice, grabbed some smores from the candy shop for me (YUM) and headed home. It seriously made for a LONG day. we did have fun, but it really could have been better.

Lesson learned..... wait until kids are older and don't have to be in a stroller or on a leash, spend more than one day there, and make sure there aren't any major bands playing the days you go. Guess we'll know for next time.....

Animal Kingdom: Day 1

Here we go- ready???

Our trip was good. The drive down was amazingly fine. But- only after 1.5 hours on the road... we find ourselves cleaning up this mess....

Yah- we found out that baby can't have cheesy ritz crackers....... obviously a fun time... hahaha.

SO we made it to our house that was just AWESOME! nice 2000 sq. foot home with a pool in the backyard. it was so much better than staying in a hotel. I'd highly reccomend it for anyone planning a trip. If you want the info, contact me. It will seriously be so worth it. PLUS- it's the same price or cheaper than most hotels in the area!

Now for Animal Kingdom:

The day started off really foggy. I had looked at the weather reports for the weekend and said it would be warm and sunny. Well- it ended up being cloudy and rainy all day. Lucky for us, it was just misty rain, and actually felt good- so I was pleased. Besides... it was PERFECT lighting for taking pics!

We arrived when it opened and immediately started off to find the "kids" section...aka.... dinsaur-land. Kids were so excited- it was really priceless seeing their faces. So they went on their first and ONLY ride of the day. Animal Kingdom isn't about rides, it's more of the animals and shows and trails and such. So here's their only ride. Baby was pretty upset that she didn't get to do it.... but that's what happens when you're too little.

And then we ran into these guys: Which was the highlight of baby's day.... :)

We would have gotten pics with Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, but they had to leave before we got pics with them. pretty sad.

We then marched off to watch Finding Nemo- the Musical. OH MY WORD. Amazing. it was one of the best things we saw all weekend. It was just amazing. the music, the costumes, the acting.....fantastic!!! The kids loved it and had a wonderful time watching it. Couldn't take any pics though.... :(

Then off to the animal trail. you just follow this trail that takes you around to view several different animals. Was nice to see a bunch of different animals and have the kids so excited to see birds... HAHAH! So- here's where the GORILLA story comes in. Freakin hilarious!

Ok- so we pull into the gorilla sanctuary and the big dude is sleeping up against the window. He's massive. But just as we get up to the window, he gets up, makes his way over to a little log- and situates himself to a nice little squat and proceeds to do his... ahem... business. #1 and #2. Yah- so I got this pic.... I snapped this before I knew what he was doing.

Ok- so once i saw what he was doing, i dropped my camera and pulled out the video camera. And it's a good thing I did too. Big dude ended up moving away somewhere and this pregnant gorilla comes out of nowhere. She sits for a second, then makes her way over to where this big dude just took care of business. She then pokes her finger into his schtuff and sniffs it. Everyone at this point- is freakin out. EEEEWWWWW- gross. right? gets better. (or worse).... she does that a few times. Then she freakin picks up the chunks of dooky and goes to another spot. And get this... she then starts EATING THE CRAP! it was so disgusting. The poor guys talking about the gorillas and their habitat was trying to explain what she was doing, but everyone was so grossed out that no one heard what he was saying. Man... it was seriously the most disgusting and the funniest thing we saw all day. Now... if you ever want to SEE it- i totally have the whole thing on video.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ok- on to other stuff.....

We headed over to the Safari. now i was most excited for this since I had been warned to bring my camera and my good lens with me. And boy.. am I glad i did! It was SO AMAZING. I couldn't believe the things I got on camera and how close! So here's a few pics from the Safari.

Ok- Amazing right? I was in awe the entire time. So cool. Make sure you have a fantastic lens and camera when you do this thing!!!

And I caught a pic of the Tree of Life sitting smack dab in the middle of the park. Here's a closeup of the detail on that thing. Isn't it incredible?

We hit a couple more things- including Bugs Life 3-D show. We were warned NOT to take the kids in. But we decided to do it, because honestly, we thought it would be hilarious knowing what we did. So we get the glasses, kids thought that was cool- but that's about it. lol-

We watched the show, where there were points that water was spit at you, bubbles came down from the ceiling, "bugs" crawled under you butts, and obviously the 3-D effect. The kids really didn't understand that it wasn't real, so they got quite scared. We didn't know what was funnier, watching the kids get scared, or the actual movie and what was going on there. regardless... we decided this got the prize for the best part of the day! hahaha... although I'm sure the kids would disagree. ;)-

So our day was good. The kids were worn out and cranky around 3 pm, so we decided to just head home and swim and play. So here's the one and only family pic we got from the whole weekend. (yah... i'm a little peeved at that). and then a picture of the massive christmas tree right in front of the main gates. It really was so cool.

So there's our day one. Kids hit the hay at 7 pm and ended up being awake most of the night because little baby wanted to play all night. (??????) so we were all pretty tired for our next day to Magic Kingdom.

STAY TUNED FOR DAY 2..............