A MOTHER’S LOVE- SEMI-GOOD UPDATES

Happy Earth Day everyone. Well boys and girls, as you know its super crazy around here. I have a smidgen of good news on both topics of mass frustration I alerted you to yesterday.

First the thing with CPS… I met with the caseworker (standard) and talked to her for awhile. She told me it was originally reported in February from an anonymous tip from someone who didn’t even have my address! ARE YOU SERIOUS? She said she thought it was stupid, so once she got some more information, then she finally got around to acting on it. She said it was low priority and now having talked to my kids, met them, and met me and DH and talked to us and saw our house, etc. she can say there is no cause and it is just someone with a grudge against us. She was very nice… I offered a tour of the house to see the clean clothes, the food, etc. The lady is just doing her job and I proved that whoever said this stupid crap obviously is just abusing the system. It is true… A mother’s love is like no other! It is amazing what we will do and endure for our children… and our mothers!

Ok, now on to the other important topic… my mom. I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support you have all shown for her. The comments, the emails, the phone calls, just everything! Even the nurse from the clinic where my mom was when all this happened called to check up and let me know that the whole clinic is praying for and thinking about my mom and our family. They are really nice people. Or could it be a CYA thing?? Maybe something they did caused all this and they are just acting really concerned? I have one of those sickening gut feelings (and I am usually right 99% of the time unfortunately) that this is more the reason they are calling… to make sure they didn’t kill her! I just have to figure how one would go about finding that out or proving that. I’ve also had emails asking if people can send a get well card, gift, etc. If you would like to do that, let me know via email and I will give you an address, ok? And I appreciate it very much. I have the best readers in the world!

As for her condition… she has improved drastically. Her vitals are darn near perfect (you’d think she should be up dancing around!) and they removed the breathing tubes a few hours after she became awake. Her throat is very raw because of the tubes but this is normal and should be better soon. She can talk some, but it is still more of a raspy whisper. The Respiratory Therapist gave her an Albuterol treatment to help her breathing. But they are keeping her in TCU overnight because she is still having the difficulty breathing. TCU, for those who don’t know, stands for Transitional Care Unit. It is not quite ICU, but the next step down… better than a regular ward but not quite as good as ICU LOL. The doctors are going to get their Pulmonary Specialist to come by and check on her breathing and lungs. They’re also going to bring in a Pain Management Specialist and Neurologist to work on the pinched nerve issue that started all this. They performed a cat scan last night to see if they could see why she had the seizure or if there was any damage from it and the results were negative on both issues… THANK GOD! The doctor gave his OK for her to start eating (if she wants to) and was able to drink some cool water today. She was also CHEWING ON CRUSHED ICE! (She LOVES crushed Ice LOL!) Then I got notice from my Dad that said:

While I was out, the Pulmonary Specialist came by and did his examination. It appears that she has amassed some fluid on her lungs, which is why she is having some trouble breathing. They’ve set her up for additional Albuterol treatments every 4 hours, and have decided to keep her in the TCU overnight. When I came back in at 8pm, she was taking one of the treatments. Afterward she sounded a bit better – not quite so “raspy” as before. They’ve also started her back on some of her regular meds. They’re having to crush them up and mix ‘em into some sugar-free pudding so she can swallow them. They’re also working on getting her blood sugar back under control. She’s getting her regular doses of insulin and a third kind which is supposed to take some of the “swing” out of her sugar numbers. She’s down to the low 300’s (still high, but doing much better). Hopefully, if all goes well tonight, she’ll be in her own room by tomorrow.

So, fluid on the lungs... not good! I have read about some of the reasons and it scares the crap out of me! And they are hoping to move her to a regular room sometime today… which is good cause I really need to see my mommy. I cry at the drop of the hat and it’s hard to focus on everything I need to get done. Trying to stay strong, help everyone, take care of everything, and answer all the phone calls is proving a tough battle. My mother is one tough cookie, let me tell ya! I’ve always respected my mom (and dad) and everything they have done, but this… wow!

I do have a bit of “normalicy” for you today. As you know, today is Earth Day and there are actually some things you can get for free today. Also I hope you are planting some trees out there peeps! Go to this Yahoo Article and see some of the free stuff you can get today… from tote bags to hats to park admissions! And don't forget to go to HEB today with your 5 plastic bags for a free reusable shopping bag!

Ok, I’m trying to keep myself busy as best I can really. I have washed 18 loads of laundry, painted all their door jams, cooked, cleaned, fed and watered animals, and tons of other things. Keeping myself busy keeps me from sitting here balling constantly. I think I will be much better when I can see her. Until then, it’s the jelly brained busy bee for me! My mom surprised me by going online, before all of this happened, and bought the fabric I wishlisted on Amazon for my kitchen! I should never have taught her how to pull that up LOL! So now, my kitchen will be extra super special because she bought it for me. She said it was a “thank you” for all I have done. No thanks necessary! So maybe I will work with that some… of course maybe not cause I might just cry all over it! Not sure yet… just have to see what the day holds. I might just go and wash more clothes and such… which I really should do! Yea I think I will. DH can take care of this house today! Anyway, let me get off here and try to get moving. Thank you all again for such kindness you continue to express! HUGS!

BARGAINS BARGAINS EVERYWHERE!

Well good morning everyone! It’s the dreaded TAX day! Have you gotten your taxes completed and mailed in yet? Me… done, not worried… gonna have a better day than most people LOL! So how you doing today, really? So glad you came by! Here, would you like a cup of coffee or tea? Let’s chat shall we…

I’m sorry I am a bit tardy today… I’ve already been a busy camper. I dropped off the kids at school and stopped by the little store I told you about, Zieglers, because they have whole fryers on sale again for 79c a pound. Picked up some birds and a beautiful pork roast for $1.09 a pound… it was inspiration for dinner LOL! Then I came home and set up the beloved crocks, threw some birds in the oven to roast, chopped veggies, etc. and now I am here for your entertainment! LOL! I have 2 crock’s of todays recipe, Carnitas, going, one of a mesquite beef stew, a T-bone marinating, chickens roasting, chicken legs soaking, and ribs resting LOL! I still have to make some homemade Pico De Gallo and do some other things but it will be interesting. I also want to run to Food Town at some point today because they have leg quarters on sale for 29c per pound in a 10lb bag! WOOHOO! Its chicken roundup/stockup time! I have no problems with that because boy can these people eat some chicken LOL! I also heard HEB has chicken THIGHS on sale 5lbs. for $5… so I might try going there too… as my dad is a serious thigh lover- nothing but thighs LOL! We shall see… I think I might also squeeze in trying to make some jelly (if I even have pectin LOL)! The rest of this week I think will be a “Use-it-before-you-lose-it week”! So got some marathon cooking ahead gang! FUN FUN!

Ok my little bargain hunters… you may not be able to get the good meat deals at Zieglers or my Food Town, but you need to watch your emails for the Home Depot Garden Club email… guess what you get free this time! A TREE! Yes you heard me… Buy 1 Get 1 FREE TREE!!!!!!! OMG I am so super stoked! Remember I talked about planting a tree for Earth Day… well there ya go! There are lots of places to get free stuff this tax day! Check this out!

Free treats and more for taxpayers

NEW YORK (AP) -- Few truths are more universal: No one likes to pay taxes, and everyone loves to get things for free.

Restaurants and other retailers are offering freebies to reduce people's angst over their income taxes -- which must be postmarked or e-filed by Thursday.

From cupcakes and pancakes to dinners and coffee, the offers are meant to help people feel better as they help companies drum up business. No paperwork or proof is required for most of the offers.

Ice cream chain MaggieMoo's is giving away pieces of its new ice cream pizza in its second annual tax day giveaway. The company won't say what it cost to give away thousands of free scoops of ice cream at its 160-plus stores in 2009, but a spokeswoman says such promotions bring in new guests and new sales.

"They'll have free ice cream and then they'll get a drink or a smoothie or something else or take home an ice cream pizza," says Jenn Johnston, senior vice president of marketing for NexCen Franchise Management, the parent company of MaggieMoo's, Pretzel Time, The Athlete's Foot and other chains.

Here are some of the freebies and discounts on offer for tax season 2010.

-- FREE COFFEE AND TREATS

CINNABON: Get two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at participating mall locations as part of "Tax Day Bites!" Flavors include Chocolate Passion, 24-Carrot Cake, Vanilla Bliss and Cinnacake Classic.

MAGGIEMOO'S: Get one free slice of ice cream pizza -- ice cream with red frosting to look like sauce and white chocolate to look like cheese -- at participating locations from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

STARBUCKS: Get free brewed coffee all day Thursday if you bring your own mug, a promotion the cafe chain says is friendly to the environment as well as taxpayers.

-- DISCOUNTED MEALS

BOSTON MARKET: For a "last-minute tax break" -- one free meal for each one you buy Thursday through Sunday -- show this coupon: http://bit.ly/d1YlRO

IHOP: Expanding on the tax deduction parents get for kids, the restaurant chain is offering free dinner for one child age 12 or younger with each adult meal purchased 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. all month long.

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK'S: The seafood restaurant is offering $10.40 dinner and drink specials in the bar on Thursday -- a nod to the 1040 tax form. Bar guests who come in April 15 also receive a $10.40 gift certificate for a later visit. And professional tax preparers, who may have to work right until the midnight deadline Thursday, get their freebie Friday: dessert on the house plus a $10.40 certificate if they show a business card.

P.F. CHANG'S: Get 15 percent off food purchases for dine-in or take-out, excluding alcohol and happy hour food and beverages.

-- STRESS RELIEF

HYDROMASSAGE: Get a free massage Thursday through Sunday at participating locations. The mall-based massage chain suggests calling ahead to book an appointment. Find a location at http://www.hydromassage.com/taxday.

Now sticking with the Earth Day, recycling to me is fun and helpful. I am a big believer in repurposing things that still have life! SO, guess what today’s idea for a craft is? It’s a use for those old coats… either you or the kids outgrew them but you can’t bare to get rid of it? Well now you won’t have to (Hmmm… wonder if I am actually contributing to the hoarders of the world LMAO! J/K)!



Craft Idea of the Day: Recycled Coat Messenger Bag

Materials:

1 old, full length Parka.
Any bright lining, contrast fabric you want
Matching Sewing thread and machine

Directions:

1) Lay out your coat flat on floor and take a good look at it, imagining it in peices, not a whole.

2)Cut a large front section with pocket to be the front of the bag.30cm wide x 40cm long.

3)Cut a long back piece to be the back of the bag, including the part that will fold down over the front.
30cm wide x 60cm long. plus a matching size in the contrast fabric.

4) Cut the sleeves cut to width 20cm, for the side panels, I included the cuff buckle.

5)Cut 68cm length of buttonhole section from down the front of the coat as a handle. Plus a matching length of contrasting fabric

6) Sew the two ends of sleeves together, leaving the cuff end as the top part of bag sides.

7) Attach front panel(with pocket) to what you designate as front of side panels, fold over any spare at top and sew, do this double thick stiching.

8)Attach contrast fabric to back panel (face both back to back, stitch, turn right way round) and do same to buttonhale handle.

9) Stitch back panel to side panel so you have a long flap hanging over the front.

10)Attach handle to side panels, add velcro to front as easy fastener.

Isn’t that just slouchy cool? Ok its time to eat ladies and gents! Tonight is another slow cooker love affair LOL! One of the things I am making is a “fix your own taco” bar tonight, because after UIL, I anticipate some of the kids “coming home” for dinner and celebrations LOL! One pot, I am making Carnitas. Carnitas means 'little meats' and is traditionally fried then braised. This recipe is made much easier using the slow cooker but the results are just as tasty. This makes a great filling for tamales, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. This filling is also great combined with your favorite barbecue sauce and served on buns



Slow Cooker Carnitas

Ingredients

3 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 fresh minced garlic cloves
3 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

Ok kids… my house smells amazing already and I think I need to go check my golden yard buzzards LOL! Then maybe do some sewing while the kitchen works for me… I know its hard to slave all day in the kitchen to make my family a fabulous feast and still get so much else done LMAO! Gonna think about running to grab some more birds and bird parts while the hubby guards the pots LOL! Dunno yet what the day will hold in store for me LOL! Either way, it will be interesting! So be safe, have fun, and I’ll meet you back here tomorrow! HUGS!

LOTS O’ NEWS

Well good morning to all my peoples out there. How ya doing this fine March morning? I’m a little tired and a little banged up (very clutsy night on my part! I jammed my toe and burnt my finger LOL!) but I’m good. So how do you like the new décor? Pretty festive I think LOL!

We got a little less than 2/3 of my storage unit cleaned out YAY! A day or two of some hard cleaning and such and I should have that sucker knocked out and that bill eliminated… a month ahead of the goal I set for myself YAY! GO ME! Thanks to my mom for the use of the truck, and to my Dad, DH, and DS18 for moving all the stuff in and out of storage and the attic! I figure one day next week once the kids are back in school, the DH and I can go knock out the last of what is left in storage. No sign of Mickey the Mouse thank goodness… but I DID discover that little buzzard ate my paper mache skeleton torso I worked over a month on! Oh let me see him when I’m cleaning!

Ok, so the first bit of news… It was a good mail day yesterday! I got my free samples from Proctor & Gamble, Sams, Kotex, some seeds, my Burpee catalog (YAY!), the new JoAnns ad and coupon, and some other things! I love getting mail… and lots of it! I could’ve done without the very high electric bill or water bill, but the catalogs, free samples, etc were all super cool!



So, the other day I told you about a FREE seed offer from Wintersown.org where you print out the page request and send it in with a SASE and you would get some seeds. Well, I had sent mine in a couple of days after I printed it out and OMG I got my envelope back yesterday in the mega mail. Let me tell you , my envelope was FULL! I received 10 bags of seeds… I got on bag/packet of each of these seeds: tomato, Swiss chard, Purple Vienna Kohlrabi (aka a German Turnip), Eastern Bluestar Amsonia Tabernaemontana, Evening Primrose, Switchgrass, Celosia Plumosa, Cleome White Sparklers, Calendula, and a wildflower blend! So it’s off to the research for me! If you haven’t done this offer yet, ya gotta try these out! Who knows what types of seeds you’ll get! Follow the link to WinterSown.org and look on the right for the link to the free seed offer. It’s definitely worth your stamps!



They also let you know how to donate seeds to them as well… and I plan on it. Seeing as I have a big cup full of Poblano seeds I gathered and a few other seeds as well, I am gonna print out some of their cute seed envelopes and mail them as a donation to them. I have 12 envies of Poblano seeds ready to mail right now… hope they enjoy them. Now I am just waiting on the offer from Dinner Garden I completed… will let you know when that one comes in.



More news on the topic of gardening, seeds, etc… we had to harvest the first strawberry! It was trying to start being squishy on one side. Since it was bright red, you see me with my first berry of the season. I sliced it and we all tried it… OMG!!!!!!! Sweet, juicy, and oh-so-wet-myself-yummy! And I grew it on my own so that made it taste even better LOL! I can’t wait for tons of these delicious bites of heaven to come to me! Mom has some wild berry vines growing and taking over her shrubs in the back yard, so next week I will be adding those to my lovely hoard of plants invading my back porch! I imagine she doesn’t want them choking out her shrubs, and I love picking the berries… so let’s have some fun! LOL… I was gonna go hunt a bunch down on the sides of the road, but hey, this is safe and free so why not! LOL… get enough of them and you can make some most awesome jellies and jams, cobblers, fried pies, and SOOOO much more! So stayed tuned for pics of me in long sleeves sweating like crazy to get a ton of these berry vines transplanted into huge pots and hauled home.

My Dad mentioned something about the law and selling plants with patents. I am doing some research, but the preliminary reports show that I am ok as long as I call the companies and ask if its ok as long as its not a giant number of plants. Its part of the US code, so I am doing some legal research now (good thing my old job was all about legal research LOL!) about everything I need to know about seed propagation for profit. To Jean- thanks for the comment… as for the Brandywine tomatoes, we have never tried them. I would love to try them, but I don’t think I’ve even ever seen them locally. I would have to research them, if they would even grow in my zone. I did notice that Burpee has giant watermelon (supposed to grow to 200 pounds YAY! LOL) so I might look more closely in their catalog. I am thinking one giant pumpkin and one giant watermelon and I would be set LMAO! Oh I can see my landlord’s face with giant melons and gourds in my yard!

And then we have some funny/silly gardening news. Madison and I have come up with a new planter idea for next year! We have decided to make “The Purple Planter”. As we quickly skimmed through the Burpee catalog, we noticed all the various fruits, veggies, etc that come in/grow into purple foods… Eggplant, tomatoes, turnips, beans, lettuce, etc. So we figure we can build another planter and paint it purple. Inside the purple planter, we can grow nothing but purple fruits and veggies LOL! We think it would be kinda cool… and it would DEFINITELY be interesting to watch grow and flourish! LOL! Soooo... Dad... you have any paint from the front room left? LOL!

However, we do have some sad garden news to report… out of 8 corn plants… only 3 are still hanging in there. I have lost 5 of them. I have also lost 2 out of 3 of my bush pickle cucumber plants too. Not sure what happened… but we are praying for the remaining plants in the planter. I might go pick up a couple more bush cukes if I can find them… but I’m gonna try to avoid buying too many other things now that everything is pretty well established. The only other additions will be the seeds that grow that I don’t sell.

Alrighty… news on the craft horizon. I found this great gift box idea and I thought it was simply adorable! So I had to share it with you.



Craft Idea of the Day: Rascally Rabbit Gift Box

What You Need:

Oval box with lid (7-1/2 x 10 x 5 inches)
12 x 18-inch sheet of pink stiff felt
Stapler
Crafts glue
Double-sided tape (optional)
5 sheets of blue paper
White, black, purple, and yellow paper scraps
Thin white wire
1-1/2-inch pink pom-pom
2-1/2-inch white pom-pom
White crafts fur scraps
Hole punch
Orange curly ribbon

Instructions:

1. Cut two 4 x 18-inch ears from felt. Staple ears inside the box along top edge.
2. Cover box and lid with blue paper.
3. Have an adult cut a 1/8 x 4-1/2-inch slit on each side of the lid and slip over ears.
4. Cut out face pieces and glue to front of box. Add wire whiskers, a pink pom-pom nose, and white pom-pom tail. Glue a small piece of fur to top of lid.
5. Punch two holes at the top of each ear. Thread one curly ribbon through each ear. Knot ends together to create a handle.

Ok its time for food news… I made these last night for my gang in hopes there would be a few left but fear not… the family never lets me down to devour every piece of food I made! LOL! I am sure you could use other cuts of chicken for this recipe, but I had set out legs, so that’s what we had… along with corn, mashed potatoes, and some biscuits that were left over from the big breakfast I cooked in the morning.



Oven Fried Parmesan Chicken Legs

Ingredients

12 chicken drumsticks
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

If desired, soak chicken in 1/4 cup salt for about 1 hour to reduce the amount of blood that “cooks out” of the chicken.

In a shallow bowl, mix together salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, garlic, bread crumbs, and cheese. In a separate bowl, beat egg until lemon colored.

Dip chicken in egg, coating well. Roll in cheese mix.

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until brown and crispy (flipping half way through the cooking process will make them crispy on both sides).

Well kids, after all is said and done, you’ve got another craft idea, another meal idea, and hopefully a lot of inspiration to boost up your day. I think today is lazy research day for me as we prepare for a family outing to the big farmers market in Houston tomorrow (if the rain holds out). Supposed to be clouds in the morning and rain in the PM, so we’ll watch the weather today before we decide. To each and every one of you, thanks for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog everyday. Peace, Love, and tons of HUGS!!!

CATCHING THE FEVER YET?

Well good morning all my faithful friends! How are you doing today? Me… well I’m still about the same except I have this crazy rash on my hands that I noticed yesterday. Good thing I’m fixing to head out to the doctor so they can tell me what it may be. I think I might be allergic to something I either ate or touched at one of the nurseries! UGH! I am leaning to touched something because its just on my hands and forearms. Anyway, I want to thank everyone for the comments you left me. It’s good to know that I’m not just being weird about this whole trip thing. And I am very happy to see my mom getting in the gardening mood/spirit! YAY! Everyone say HI MOM! LOL…

OK Susan, you asked a very specific question. Most of my gardening is always veggies and an occasional flower of sorts. I don’t do tropical house plants personally. BUT I spent a lot of the night researching for you and from what I can tell the Kaffir Lily and the Ponytail Palm would be good seeds to start. I also ran across cactus, bonsai, spider plants, aloe vera, and bamboo as being very good seeds to sow for indoor plants.



The Kaffir lily, miniata, is a tropical houseplant that thrives in the shade. Native to South Africa, it grows under the protection of trees and bushes in its natural habitat. As a houseplant, it prefers partial shade and well drained, slightly acidic soil. Kaffir lily plants can grow up to 18 inches tall and up to 25 inches wide, so a large pot is recommended. The plant takes about four years to fully mature, at which point it will flower in the spring and summer months.



Ponytail Palm: While flowers and hanging vines are fun, some indoor gardeners are more ambitious. If you'd like the joy of watching a tree grow in your living room, starting a ponytail palm tree, Nolina recurvata, from seed may be for you. This plant is not a true palm tree, but is a succulent, native to Mexico. At maturity, which can take up to 15 years in a pot, the ponytail palm reaches heights of 6 feet or more. This plant has a great amount of potential for people who occasionally forget to water their plants--over watering this plant is more harmful than under watering it. Requiring full sun and well-drained soil, starting this stunning plant from seed takes little effort.

As for plants to plant with the daycare children, to keep the interest of the little ones you might consider seeds that germinate and sprout fairly quickly. Some flower seeds that are quick to germinate include Centaurea (bachelor's buttons) -- 7 to 10 days; Dianthus (sweet William) -- 5 to 10 days; Rudbeckia (gloriosa daisy) -- 5 to 10 days; ageratum -- 6 to 10 days; cosmos -- 5 to 7 days; sweet alyssum -- 8 to 15 days; zinnia -- 5 to 7 days; and Mexican marigold -- 5 to 7 days. Vegetable seeds worth trying include corn -- 5 to 7 days; cucumber -- 7 to 10 days; lettuce -- 7 to 10 days; sweet peas- 7-10 days; and watermelon -- 5 to 7 days. To ensure success, plant your seeds in moistened seed-starting mix and keep them in a warm location. Also check out this website called Eartheasy and their article Gardening with Children for some more ideas! I hope some of this information has been helpful.



OK, since yesterday was Garden Comment day, I got to thinking…a lot of you are talking about it still snowing where you are… so why don’t you make a rain barrel or 2? Shovel some of that snow (which is full of nutrients BTW) into the barrel and then when it melts, you will have good water for your plants! Not to mention, that it saves on your water bill when you have it in reserve! You can also bring some of that snow inside and when it melts, you can water your houseplants with it as well! You can make a rain barrel out of food grade 55 gallon drums or even trash cans. You will need a spigot and a few other things. There are a ton of websites with instructions to make a rain barrel, but two of the best ones I looked at were How to make a Rain Barrel Cheaply and Recycle the Rain.



Now some of you have laughed at the fact that I said I wanted to grow giant pumpkins! And as of right now, it does not look like my seeds are going to sprout BUT I found a great article that might help me… so I plan on getting more seeds IF I can find them and trying again! I WILL have me a 500 pound pumpkin! LOL can you see my landlord’s face when it starts to grow?!? OMG if I can actually get one to grow, I will be LMAO. The world's largest pumpkin isn't just giant--it's gargantuan! The current record holder is Christy Harp's 1,725 pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin, which won the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Grower's annual weigh-off in October 2009. Could you imagine if I could grow one BIGGER? Maybe THAT would be the World record breaker on my bucket list LMAO!



Oh I have to show you… I am so proud of the seeds for sweet peas I started! Look how big they have grown in just a few days?! The tallest one is over 4 inches now! I just smile when I go in the kitchen and see these little darlings shooting up! I planted 2 seeds per peat pot (total of 20 seeds) and only 4 did not sprout. Not bad huh? BUT I am gonna keep waiting on them, because one of the pots had a late bloomer… he’s just about an inch tall now. He’s a baby LOL!

And speaking of seeds, I found this site that has lots of good information about sowing seeds inside during the winter. Its called WinterSown.Org and they even have a link on their site for FREE seeds! Make sure to check it out! You have to print out the page and include it with your SASE and mail it within 7 days to get the free seeds. And if you donate $5, they will double your order, bringing the total to 12 free packs instead of 6. They are a 501c3 organization and you will receive a receipt for your donation. I sent mine off and I will let you know how that offer goes!



And I wanted to let everyone know that I DID receive my Free Houston Garden Centers Gift Card on Tuesday in the mail, so if you got it to get yours, congrads! If not, rest assured, I’ll be keeping my eyes wide open for more great deals like this! Now the hard part is deciding what to get with the card! LOL… DD15 wants berries, I want fruit trees, oh and some roses! And I could ALWAYS go for more veggies too! Now you see why its so hard? LMAO!



Ok, so as you have read my daughter leaves on her band trip tomorrow. (I want to thank everyone for their comments regarding how I was feeling BTW.) They are going to Orlando, FL. Well I made some luggage tags for her yesterday. As you can see, I had 3 different music note fabric, so that’s what I made and she could pick what she wanted. She came home from school and chose the black and the white ones… she liked the yellow one too, but opted for the darker 2. That’s fine… I now have the first one for putting in my crafts to sell! YAY! Go me! I originally posted this idea on Feb. 14th, so go check it out as it is a quick easy craft to make for the traveler in your life. I plan on making a ton of them to put in my craft booths for sale!

Now back to Easter crafting… how are you liking the ideas so far? Great… I’m glad you like them. I like doing all kinds of crafts- from sewing to cross-stitching and I like that each day I can come and share craft ideas that I both find online and/or come up with of my own that fits crafters of all skill levels! Here’s one I found on my Thrifty Fun website that I thought you might enjoy!



Craft Idea for the Day: Yarn Bunnies

Supplies:

1 3 oz. skein of white craft yarn
8x8 inch squares of felt, in pink, and white.
1 small spool of 1/2 inch pink satin ribbon
1 styrofoam egg shape 3" ball
1 small pkg. of movable eyes, 1/2"
1 small pkg. of white pom poms 1"
1 small pkg. of pink pom poms 1/2"
black wire, That can be cut into 2" pieces for whiskers
a decoration, for the bunny's hands, I used a small miniature plastic square basket and filled it with mini plastic eggs.

Directions:

Take the skein of yarn, Cut off wrapper, It should unfold in 1/2. Cut the skein of yarn in 1/2, Keeping it still together, Like in a long strips of yarn. Take the Egg for the head, Holding it, Place half the skein over the head evenly, So that each side hangs even. Now, Take the second half skein of yarn and fold it in the opposite way over the head. So now you will have four parts of yarn, hanging over the head. Take an elastic band and tightly hold all four parts of yarn together in your hand and wrap the elastic around until tightly wrapped. Now, You should have made the head and it should look like a mop head. With a 12" piece of pink ribbon, Gather a good amount of yarn from the top of the head and feed the yarn through. and tie in a knot at the end. This makes a pretty hanger for your bunny.

Take another 12" piece of pink ribbon, And just tie it around the neck to hide the elastic, And make a bow tie.

To make arms to hold any object you choose, Just take about 6 strands of the white yarn from each side of the dangling yarn, give each arm a twist, and place the arms together in the front, Tied with a 6" inch piece of pink ribbon. Now you can attach to the arms the basket with eggs, or just leave it with the ribbon tied in a bow.

Now, For the ears, Take one piece of white felt square, Fold it in half, Draw with a pencil, long oval pointed ears, Cut both at the same time, So the ears will be the same size. Now, Do the same thing with the pink square felt, Fold in half, But cut just a bit smaller pointed ovals, These will be hot glued in the center of the white ears. Now, After you are finished making the pink and white ears, Take your hot glue gun and just put two lines of glue accross the top sides of the head, Hold tightly until dry, They should stand up just fine. And last, The face, Glue on two eyes, The nose is made of one pink pom pom, And right below place two white ones. These will be hot glued on, And last, take each whisker, put a dab of hot glue on the end and stick it in between the nose and mouth. I use three on each side!

Ahh Easter… nothing says Easter bunny like a good old carrot. Wait a minute, yes there IS something better! CHOCOLATE! LMAO… Yes my friends I challenge you to tell me one person who doesn’t like a chocolate bunny waiting for them on that Sunday morning. The one with the hollow ears crying for you to rip them off with one big bite LOL! Yea… he is my friend. So let’s have a recipe involving delicious chocolate today shall we? How about...



Too Much Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

OK gang, that’s it for today! I gotta get a shower and get my self to the doctor this morning. Plus I have tons of stuff to do and get ready for my daughter before the end of the night. So ya’ll take care and I will meet you back here tomorrow! HUGS!

FANTASTIC FREEBIES!!

Buenos Dias! How ya feeling this festively frigid morning? I’m going nuts really… Our weatherman is predicting possible SNOW! I’m thinking someone really peturbed Mother Nature LOL Thanks for the comments ladies… its always wonderful to hear from you all. To Hazel- I hope that the pictures refreshed and gave you hope that spring will indeed come LOL! Be patient with your babies and nurture them while they are inside. Start seedlings now inside that way they are ready for transplant by the time spring arrives! To my Jeanie in a bottle LOL… I am sorry you are feeling so bad. I know how that goes. Hang in there and you will get to feeling better! Lurk all you want, but occasionally stop in for a chat and say hi so I know you are alright! I love all my readers and I really do care how you all are doing!

Ok, I just want to warn you that I have ANOTHER contest planned for the month of March, so be watching cause in a few days, you will get full disclosure about it. I think its gonna be fun really! But due to the weather, today is a day of staying inside and finding a bunch of freebies! Actually I am gonna go to my madre’s house later and hang loose with her all day LOL! However, I have time to give you some leads on some great stuff cause for some crazy reason I am up fairly early! Anyway, I have a motto I live by (yes I made it up LOL)… If it’s free, it’s good enough for me! LMAO! So check out these great free deals and offers I found and am sharing with you today…



TODAY- Tuesday, February 23rd is National Pancake Day and IHOP is celebrating by offering FREE pancakes to its customers from 7am to 10pm. They will give you one free short stack (3 pancakes) of their famous buttermilk pancakes. All they ask is that you consider making a donation to support our local childrens hospital through Childrens Miracle Network or other local charities. Check it out HERE.



Also TODAY at participating Jack-In-The-Box locations, you can get a free grilled Sandwich with the purchase of a large drink. Choose from the Turkey, Bacon and Cheddar or the Deli Trio. Check it out HERE for regulations...



Mark your calendars!! On Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 12 – 8 p.m., Ben & Jerry’s will be celebrating their annual FREE CONE DAY by giving away free ice cream at participating locations in the US. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield first scooped up free ice cream all day back in 1979 as a way to thank the community for supporting them in their first year. Now it’s an annual tradition at many of their scoop shops around the world. It’s your chance to try any of their flavors for free!



Free Crispy Breaded Fish at Long John Silver’s- Be one of the first 1 million to sign up for the Long John Silver’s New Spin on a Classic Sweepstakes and receive a coupon good towards one free piece of Crispy Breaded Fish. The lucky $20,000 winner will be announced on 4/12. Here’s how to get your free fish:
1. Go to LJS’s New Spin contest page
2. Click the “Enter here” button
3. Enter all required fields and click “Register”
4. Be prepared to print your coupon!
If you have time, play their Spin & Win Fish Fry online game. It’s fun! But, it’s not required to get your freebie.



Taco Bell – FREE Taco Fresco- Yummy! This is a good freebie to start Monday morning off with. Whether you like Taco Bell or not, print a coupon for a Free Taco bell Taco Fresco. Give it to a friend or to a person in need. They are giving away 1,000,000 free tacos with just 7 grams of fat and 150 calories.










Wienerschnitzel- Just fill out the form and look for your FREE Original Chili Dog welcome message in a few days.

Did you know that many of our favorite restaurants nowadays offer promotions like “Kids Eat Free” in order to lure our business in? And did you further know that there is a directory of tons of places where you can see if Kids eat free in your area! Go to Kids Eat Free and click on your state to find a place near you! There is another directory called Kids Eat 4 Free that you can enter your information and it will pull up some offers near you. And then you have Kids Meal Deal which again, you can pull up by entering your information! You can find deals in National chains as well as smaller establishments! Here’s a few national offers… **NOTE- NOT all location may participate in any offer, so check first by calling or asking when you go… just to be safe!



Applebees- At Applebees kids eat for free on Mondays. There is 1 free kids’ meal for each adult entree purchase. Additional kids are $1.00. The kids’ menu at Applebees includes chicken fingers, cheeseburger, grilled cheese sandwich and macaroni & cheese. Not all locations offer this deal so be sure to call ahead to see if your location does!



Bennigan’s – Kids under 12, 4-10pm Tuesdays. 1 free item off the kids menu when you dine in.






Black Eyed Pea- After 5pm on Tuesdays, kids 12 and under receive a free kids’ meal with every adult entree purchased at Black-eyed Pea (TN, TX). The kids’ meals at Black-eyed Pea include an entree (macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, grilled cheese, cheese sticks, pot roast, chicken breast, chicken fingers, meat loaf, turkey, cheeseburger and cheese pizza), side, drink and dessert.



Chick-fil-A- At participating locations, kids can eat a free kids’ meal at Chil-fil-A on Tuesdays for Family Fun Night from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. There is a limit of 1 free kid’s meal per adult combo meal purchased.



CiCi’s Pizza- Kids 3 and under eat free from the Cici’s Pizza buffet everyday! Specific Cici’s Pizza locations frequently have where older kids can eat for free on certain nights – check with your nearest location



Denny’s – For kids 10 yrs old or younger. Kids also eat free at Denny’s on Tuesday nights from 4-10 pm, and at some locations they can eat free on Saturday nights too.



Fuddruckers (OMG YUM! Wishing I was a kid LOL)- Kids 12 and under can eat for .99 from the kids’ menu from 4pm to 9pm on Mondays (and Tuesdays) at Fuddruckers. A drink is included! The Fuddruckers kids’ menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, macaroni & cheese, chicken bites, cheeseburger and mozzarella sticks. Not all locations offer this deal so be sure to call ahead to see if your location does!



Golden Corral- Children 10 and under eat free from 5pm to 9pm on Monday’s at Golden Corral. This is limited to 2 kids per 1 adult. Not all locations offer this deal so be sure to call ahead to see if your location does! Kids 3 and under eat free every day!



Hooters- Kids eat free at Hooters all day long on Sundays.

IHOP – Kids under 12, 4-10pm all week. Get 1 free kids menu item with each adult entree purchase.



Jason’s Deli- Kids eat free at Jason’s Deli all day on Sundays at some locations and on Mondays at others. Call your local Jason’s Deli before you go! The kids’ menu at Jason’s Deli includes sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, salads, baked potatoes, pasta, pizza and macaroni and cheese.



Red Robin Restaurants – Kids under 10, 5-9pm Mon & Tuesdays.



TGI Fridays – Kids under 12, all day Mon and Tuesdays. Buy a dinner entree and your kid gets a free item off the kids menu, drink and side included.

Today’s Free Food Tip: Mexican Restaurants are a great bargain for families. Mexican places will usually bring you a big free bowl of hot corn chips and salsa before your food arrives. Most kids will fill up on these chips even before the food arrives. Order a side of flour tortillas (about 50 cents) and then fill them with the re-fried beans that come with most adult meals. Whola. . . You now have bean burittos for all the kids. Some restaurants will give you tortillas for free, which then turns this into a "Kids Eat Free" deal. Also consider ordering a side of melted cheese, and you can turn those free chips into several orders of Nachos.

Yummmmmm…… NACHOS! Oh sorry just zoning and daydreaming here LOL… ok so I’m sure there are lots of places around you with free meal promotions that are not listed. And never be afraid to ASK… I mean the worst a place can say is NO right? Right! LOL So now that I made you fully hungry with all the free food offers, LOL, let’s touch base on a few freebies that are NOT food that you might be interested in!

World’s Best Cat Litter is giving away a free bag of litter after mail-in rebate (MIR). And they’re giving away $10 in coupons! To get your free bag via MIR:

1. Purchase a 7 or 8 lb. bag of World’s Best Cat Litter between 2/1/10 and 12/31/10 (find a retailer by clicking “where to buy” on WBCL’s homepage)
2. Click this link to open the mail-in rebate () form (in PDF), and print it
Fill out MIR form
3. Mail form along with your receipt (item circled) and UPC from bag of litter
4. Must be mailed before 12/31/10, and received before 1/31/11

No PO boxes. Void where prohibited. Limit one per address. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of rebate check.
COUPONS:
Additionally, they’re offering $10 in printable coupons! Follow this coupons link and click “print your coupons now.” You will get three coupons: one $4 off one 7 or 8 lb bag, and two $3 off any size bag. They expire in 1, 2 and 3 months, respectively. You can either use a coupon now to spend less upfront, then send in the MIR to get your money back. Or, an even better idea: since the MIR is up to $12.99 back, you can pay full price initially, and get all your money back via rebate (assuming it’s less than $12.99). THEN use the coupons to save on future purchases! The choice is yours!

$25 Visa Card for Test Drive- Test drive the new 2011 Kia Sorento and they’ll give you a $25 prepaid Visa card. Here’s how to get your Kia Kash!
1. Fill out the Kia Sorento testdrive online form and print your certificate
2. Go to a Kia dealership and test drive a 2011 Sorento before 3/15/10
3. Have dealer fill out their part of form
4. You fill out your part of form
5. Mail completed form in before 4/15/10
6. Profit! Your gift card will be mailed to you in 6 to 8 weeks
No purchase necessary. • Test-drive offer is valid from 2/8/10 to 3/15/10 • To be eligible, test-driver must be 18 years of age or older with a valid driver’s license • This offer is non-negotiable and non-transferable (test driver only can redeem for gift card) • One $25 prepaid card per household • Test-drive and dealer validation required • Your envelope with the original, completed e-certificate inside must be postmarked by 4/15/10 • Void where prohibited • Offer valid while supplies last. See site for details. US only.

Parent’s Choice formula for infants- have you seen this formula at Wal-Mart? Click HERE to get a free sample of Parent’s Choice Formula. There are 2 different types you can choose from… premium or gentle formula.

Breathe Right Nasal Strips- if you have trouble breathing, especially at night, then you have to try these out. Breathe Right is offering a free sample of 2 strips.

FREE Box of Excedrin- Excedrin is giving away a free box of pain reliever to those who do not currently use their product. Here’s how to get rid of your headache, free: Visit Excedrin.com Answer one question: Which of these pain relievers have you used in the last 12 months? (select all that apply) **Note: if you check Excedrin, you will not receive a free box – you’ll be given the choice of several $1 coupons instead. The free box offer is only for those who have not used Excedrin in the last 12 months. Fill out form and submit Your coupon for any Excedrin product (valued up to $5.99) will be mailed to you in 3-5 days.

Kotex Sample Pack– Visit Kotex and select your choice between three sample packs of tampons and liners (limit one per request, total of two per household, US only, 13 or older, 10 weeks for delivery)

Victoria’s Secret Pink Nation is almost a year old! To celebrate they’re offering free gifts to the first million who sign up! They’re nearly 90% there at the time of this writing, so hurry and sign up to receive your FREE Fragrance Deluxe Sampler! And, you’ll get membership benefits: ongoing offers & freebies, a sneak peek at the latest PINK goods, A-list access to PINK events, and never-before-seen pics & flicks.
Here’s how to get your FREE Fragrance Deluxe Sampler: Visit Victoria’s Secret Pink Nation, Sign in, or (if you’re not already a member) click the blue JOIN button, Click the “Free Deluxe Fragrance Sampler” banner to request your freebie! Freebie coupon for fragrance sampler also includes a coupon for $10 off $35 VS Pink purchase (valid in-store only, not for sale or clearance items). US only, excludes Maine. Coupon for free fragrance deluxe sampler is printable and redeemable in stores; valid for just over 2 weeks from time of issuance. Valid photo ID required to redeem in store. Limit one per person, while supplies last.

Wal-Mart “In Stores Now” is giving away free samples of Crest “3D White” Whitestrips. To get yours: Go to Wal-Mart’s free sample site, After ad finishes playing (or you can click “skip” at the bottom), click the “Sample Whitestrips” tab, click “Request Samples” button, fill in form & submit.

Purex- Try the new Purex 3in1 fabric sheets. Request your sample HERE! Fill in your information and they will send you a free 2 pack sample of Purex® Complete 3–in–1® Laundry Sheets.

Harbor Freight Tools is offering a free flashlight with this printable coupon which is valid until March 17, 2010. Just print it out and take it to your local store for redemption.

Gas-X free thin strips- To receive your free sample of Gas-X Thin StripsTM and a coupon off your next purchase, complete the form.

Ok, so I hope you are enjoying all these freebies I shared. There are tons of great offers out there, you just gotta search a little bit. I could sit here and list sites for days where you can find tons of freebies! But I do have to share my absolutely FAVORITE freebie site… It’s called Freaky Freddie’s and that site always has some awesome finds! Make sure to bookmark it and visit often! As for dinner… tonight is simple… SPAGHETTI! I don’t feel like making something extravagant and labor intensive today. A huge pot of this will fill my gang and all their buddies for cheap! And since I mass stocked up during the 10 for $10 at Kroger… I have tons in the pantry LOL! So I think I’m gonna skidaddle for today and get the kids ready for school. Ya’ll take care, get well, be safe, and see you tomorrow! HUGS!!