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We Do Believe Religious Christmas Card

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Black Friday... a holiday in itself?

I personally love Black Friday. If I can get an item on sale at a price that I would normally not be able to afford, you can bet I will be there when they open, especially if it's for my daughter! My sister's and I already have our "Black Friday Crew" together and now we are browsing the black friday ads as they get posted online. I am just so excited for it.

Well I was talking to a friend of mine last night and we were talking about Black Friday. He said with the way people anticipate Black Friday, you would think it would be a holiday in itself and I got to thinking. Really, I kind of see it as a holiday! Maybe I am wrong and materialistic for not sleeping Thanksgiving night to load the car at 2am to get to the early sales. Here is the thing: I don't have a lot of money... at all. I scrimp and save each month. So when I am given the opportunity to get the "big gift" for my daughter that I normally cannot afford you can bet I will be out there shopping... Then of course there is the argument that it's selfish and dangerous and people are so violent. I am not a violent shopper. I just get in there get what I want and leave. I don't push or shove and bottom line I am just trying to save a buck here and there. Black Friday is an easy way to do that.

I am really pumped for this Black Friday. I have started working on our plan of action. We are hitting North East Mall this year. They just have more stores that I would like to go shopping at. I know some people may think I am crazy but when I can walk into a store and spend $25 and save $100... and yes it has happened, I have definitely spent my money wisely, especially in this economy!!

What are your views on Black Friday? Are you a go getter or do you sleep in?

So Purex has graciously given me the opportunity to try out there new and improved Triple Action Laundry deteregent. I will be receiving the Free & Clear because of Audrey, my daughter and queen mess maker! I cannot wait to see how it stands up to the stains my little 2 year old can dish out! They are also changing the look of the bottle as well! Here is a first hand preview!

New Stain Fighting Power in a New Bottle!

Renuzit Holiday Fresh Accents: The Inside Scoop!!

I am fortunate enough to have received this product before it even hit the shelves!

I am SO incredibly please with this product from Renuzit! It smells so wonderful! Every time I sit at my desk I get a blast of Winter Berry! I love the smell, but not only is the smell amazing, the holder has a snowflake on the front to accent the wonderful smell. If you set this in front of a window or light you get the beautiful backlighting of the snowflakes on the back of the holder too! It is a beautiful winter accent in any area in any home . I am SO pleased with this product!

I not only received a sample of both of these Renuzit fresh accents, I also have 2 coupons for your very own Renuzit Fresh Accents to give away. Join me, December 10, 2011, at 5pm for the Blissful CoffeeMate Coffee Party, where I will be proudly displaying my lovely Fresh Accents, and who knows you might be the winner of one of the two FREE product coupons!

**Renuzit brand provided free samples of Fresh Accents air
freshener so I could review them. However, all of the opinions
expressed here are my own

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I ordered these for Audrey! They are having a sale right now!! I am so excited! I love Shutterfly!!!

Going to make this year a big year for me!

This year is going to be a great year for me. My daughter turns 2 - she is happy, healthy, and truly thriving. I graduate fro TCC May 13, 2011 - which happens to be a Friday. For some reason I find it completely appropriate :) . I am on a path to make my life healthy again and my hobbies seem to be thriving! I am truly blessed. I am trying to consolidate the things in my life to get rid of the "clutter" metaphorically speaking as well as realistically speaking. I have great friends who are supportive and if you aren't one of them - well ya know that clutter... I am talking about you ;o) .

I am getting ready for Audrey's 2nd birthday party! Saturday I got Audrey's birthday invites from Sutterfly! They are precious and what's even better is that they only cost me $6.48. How you ask? Well Pampers has reward points on ALL their product, so does Huggies, but Pampers also will just send out random points too, without having to buy anything at all. My daughter uses mostly Huggies products, but I still register the free points with Pampers. One of their rewards is 15 5x7 Photo Invites/ Cards for 900 points and since I have accumulated almost 2000 points, I thought this would be the absolute best time to use them. As I checked out at Shutterfly.com, my cart said total $6.48... you save $54! I am very happy with my purchase!

Friday I finally purchased Audrey's big gift!

I am so happy! I liked this one A LOT, but when I saw the price on Amazon.com for $390... it was just way too much for me. I chose another one but due to some recent unfortunate circumstances, the $300 was out of my league too. There were specific attributes I was looking for - Great price, play phone, doorbell, very open - so that she could get a cross breeze in it during our hot Texas summers, and cute! Thursday night I was going through my email deleting emails and I accidentally opened the Toys 'R' Us ad. Since it was a PFD file, I went ahead and looked through it, and on the 3rd page sat the house pictured above for $179.99 and the price was only good for 2 more days! I looked up the specifications online and it was all and more that I wanted for Audrey! So I am very thankful for my savvy and lucky shopping!

Loosing Weight:

The worst fear for a parent is the loss of their child, but if you are an unhealthy parent do you ever consider that because of your unhealthy habits you might be the one leaving your child? I am unhealthy to say the least. The thought of not being able to watch my daughter grow and learn saddens my heart, but it's worse to think that I might leave her earlier than I should all because I would not take the time to eat healthy and see food as sustinace and not pleasure. Well this past weekend I causally counted calories and did pretty well, but today I got serious... I have to decided to blog what I eat. Not only am I writing it down but I am writing it down for everyone to see. I will be trying out a 1500 - 1600 calorie diet right now. That's basically all I am doing, except the fact that I am cutting down on the sodas too.



Day 1: No weight loss

Breakfast:
Thomas Bagel Thin : 1 bagel - 110 calories
Philidelphia Cream Cheese (Low Fat) : 2 teaspoons - 70 calories
Water to drink

Total: 180 calories for Breakfast!

Lunch:
Sandwhich:
   White Wheat Bread: 2 slices: 150 calories
    2 1/2 oz of Turkey Breast: 75 calories
    2 tsp Miracle whip: 20 calories

25 Baby Swiss Cheez-Its: 150 calories

Coke (ForTheDay): 140 calories

Lunch total: 535 calories

Daily total so far: 653 calories - GO ME!

Classic Easter Videos on SALE @ Amazon.

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail for $5.49!! Other Great Easter Videos on sale too! I got Audrey -Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail & The Easter Bunny is Coming to Town-!! Then because I am a member of Amazon Mom, I got free 2 day shipping, so she will have plenty of time to watch them! Just an FYI...

Check out this great instore deal from TOYS"R"US - HURST [7809] on LITTLE TIKES Secret Garden Playhouse in HURST,+ TX

Check out this great instore deal from TOYS"R"US - HURST [7809] on LITTLE TIKES Secret Garden Playhouse in HURST,+ TX

100 pics a day...

I have started taking lots and lots of pictures recently because first off I got a really great camera for my birhtday and secondly I have a very beautifl subject! So I thought, why not?

I am going to try it. 100 pics a day, for a year. 36,500 memories capture in a moment. I am so excited!



I always think...

when I take pictures of Audrey that there is one that will always be "the best", even better than anything else I can take of her. I take pictures of Audrey daily and everyday there is a better one than the "best of yesterday". It's amazing! My brother, Audrey, and I went to the Botancical Gardens today, because I did not want to sit inside on St.Patrick's Day with nothing to do. These are just a few of the 100 pictures I took today!



Mini Me.



Can't Decide if this is my favorite picture of Audrey for the day...



Or if this is my favorite picture of Audrey for the day!

The 3 Amigos!

So some of my family and I took the kids to the park today! We had a blast, exhausted everyone! Then we made our way back to my Gramma's house and let the kids pay out back! This is a pic from my Gramma's house after the park! I think it's awesome! It was taken by your's truly!

The Three Amigos!

I think tomorrow, which is really today already, I am going to take Audrey to The Botanical Gardens for some more pictures! Maybe Uncle Bubba with join us!

Somethings you might not know about me...

Obviously this blog has been mostly about me & Auds, but in fact I did have a life before her. It was not as rewarding, but it was mine. :)

My very favorite quote:

What is Success?

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by
a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.


-Ralph Waldo Emerson

My sister Jaclyn introduced me to my second favorite quote


For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
 For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
 For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
 For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
 For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
 People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
 As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."
-Audrey Hepburn


My all time favorite song and what I consider to be "Audrey's song" is Second Chance by Shinedown. She was my second chance ~ I love you Audrey. You cannot fathom the impact you have had on my life.

And sometimes I wonder...

Does my child really know how much I love her? Does she really soak in all the things I try to teach her because lately it's NO all the time? Does she really understand? And then as we are blowing bubbles, I am getting soaked with bubble fluid. I told her that mommy's shirt was wet from bubbles and that I needed to put them up for now. She walks away and comes back with my pj pants from the dirty laundry and starts wiping my shirt where it was wet. Needless to say she taught me a lesson today :) and we continued to blow bubbles!

I love this baby!

Audrey's BIG birthday gift!

This is what I have decided to buy Audrey for her birthday as her BIG gift. I know she will love it! It will fit nicely outside on our deck! It has a working doorbell and a cordless phone that makes noise! I am so excited! Oh money will be tight though. These things are not cheap, but I think she will get years of play out it versus buying a smaller one that costs less!

Why won't my child sleep?

So as I am trying to put Audrey to bed I keep wondering why she is not acting tired... then it hits me daylight savings. Yuck! I wish we did not have to spring forward. I could have really used another hours sleep last night. Oh my, Audrey is playing peek - a - boo with that cat! She makes me smile. Wish life were still so simple as peek -a-boo.

On another note: HERE is the link for a really great Home Made Simple coupon book - $35 worth of savings. One per household! Let's be thrify!

Best place to start... the beginning:

The day my crazy journey began with my precious little girl: June5, 2009 @10:24pm

Audrey - less than 12 hours old!



My Auds



Mommy & Auds

So I think I am going to slowly fade Faebook out of my life.

I really like blogging, maybe because I really like talking and it's much more organized, not really sure but I really like blogging. :) I have 4 more blogs, just fun stuff! This blog is about me, my daughter, and the wonderful journey that began the day she entered my life!

She reminds me how important it is sometimes
to just stop & smell the flowers!

Pigtails & all: this is my
Audrey Elise!