Fashion Tip Friday ~

Happy Snowy Friday...at least to those of you in the Midwest!
Since this morning we've had around an inch an hour fall to the ground.
It is beautiful and peaceful.

For those of you who live in the land of sunshine and warm temps all year long....let me explain.
There are various types of snow that fall.

1. The heavy wet snow. This is good for snowball fights and a snowman in your front yard.

2. The light and fluffy kind...what we're having today,
powdery and soft, you can't pack it. No snowman, but the driveway and porch were easy-breezy-snow-removal.

I hardly shovel anymore since we have boys that take care of it.
We don't even have to mention it anymore, they just know and do the job


Then of course, Hot Chocolate is a must after all that work.
Sammy made a cup for his sister and himself.....




Extras like green sprinkle sugar left over from Christmas sugar cookies
really enhances the hot chocolate experience. =)


So would you guys mind if I was lazy this Friday and did a little plagiarism?
I didn't think so. =)

Found this fun little bit Here, thought I'd share.

10 Ways to Wake Up Prettier.

1. Braid wet hair for nice morning waves.Old school tip for a reason, it works!

2.Try an overnight treatment.

Use Frownies Facial Patches ($20 per box, frownies.com) to reduce movement during sleep so you’re less likely to crease skin, says dermatologist Francesca Fusco, M.D.

3.Moisturize Everywhere.Your elbows, your knees, your toes, Everywhere!
(Liz here ~ Eucerin works Great. It's greasy when you first apply,
but once your skin absorbs it, you will be so soft! =)

4. Protect your blowout.

Flip hair upside-down, pull into a high pony and secure with a terry hair tie.
(Hi, Liz again...I do this in my hair every night. It helps keep it styled if you don't want to wash it the next day =)

5. Swipe on Essential Oils.
When you wake up, you’ll look like you’ve had a facial,” says Chanel makeup artist Rachel Goodwin

6. Wear primer over skin care products.Yes, at night! “It allows them to sink in,” says makeup artist Mally Roncal

7. Apply a hairmask.From V05 Hot Oil to the top salon concoctions, no girl’s medicine cabinet is complete without a mask to meet your hair needs.
(Yep, me one more time....check out different at home natural ways to make your own hair mask....
Coconut Oil is good and smells Wonderful! =)

8.Try a new kind of washcloth.

Use an electronic complexion brush; your makeup will look better in the A.M.

9. Self tan.

Take your time and wake up glow-ier.
(Just make sure you don't turn yourself orange and fake!)

10. Change your pillowcase.Sleep on satin for smoother hair.


I'm going to add one more tip...drink a glass of water before bed.
And...there you have it.

Here's to a Good Weekend and Prettier Mornings.

Highs for today.....

....a visit to Nana's house.

....Less than I thought late fees at the library. =)

....Six degrees. Brrr.



....coming home to find a package on my doorstep from my sister.
{Can't wait to do something with this pitcher}



Happy Thursday to you.

The Word of God.

So much power in the words that fill the pages.
How Blessed we are to have this book at our disposal. To read whenever we want.

6,909 languages spoken in the world.
Only 438 have a written Bible.


How sad that so many who call themselves Christians in America have dusty Bibles,
when so many without would do anything for just one book, just one Psalm.

Do you read to your children? Do they love to hear His word aloud?
Do you read quietly each day to yourself? Do you take time to get to know God?
If Not. You should. You're really missing out!



Devotionals. Biographies. Missionary Stories.....all good, but NOTHING beats the Word of God!

Hope you're having a Lovely day.
Happy Wednesday to you.

Worth the Splurge.

A list of things I really like. =)
Some a bit pricey...all worth it.

Remember, all of these things can be found used on ebay, in thriftstores, goodwill.....etc.
{My favorite way to shop!}
Well, except for maybe #3.

1. Measuring Cups from Anthropologie.
Originally $32, worth the splurge even if you don't find them on sale like I did. ;)
They make measuring much more fun. AND...they look pretty on the counter.



2. My ghd styling stick .Purchased two and a half years ago for $199. {yeah, it was expensive} It not only straightens, but curls.
Heats up in less than 20 seconds....used almost every single day since I've bought it.
Not only on myself, but my girls too. Fun fact, the curls also last for a couple days!
I think I'm at around $.40 per use now....I'd buy it again.


3. Purex Crystals.
The BEST invention for laundry since the washing machine, says Liz.
Purchased only because I had a coupon for a free bottle, then I was hooked.
If you love a pretty and fresh smell in your clean clothes, this is a must buy.
$3.99 at Target ~ Three different varieties.


4. Dansko Sandals.You seriously could run a marathon with these on and your feet would think
you were wearing Nikes!


Prices vary depending on where you get them.
I own these in brown...Love them! Can't wait for summer to come around again.




5. Undershirts for my girls from hannaAndersson.
When it comes to less is more, these are one of those things you want to consider.
(My mother in law found brand new ones at a thrift store...
I love Hannah, but probably wouldn't have spent $10 on undershirts. Now I would.)

As long as you keep up with laundry, you don't need more than two or three.
The shirts they had as toddlers made it through both girls, worn almost daily...they look and feel brand new!
These shirts hold their shape, their feel and look.

It's like Magic Cotton. =)
You will be quite pleased with the quality.

So there you have it. My top 5 for the day.
Happy Monday to you.

Fashion Tip Friday ~

Happy Friday the 13th!!! No one walked under a ladder today did they?
Ha! Superstitions...something I am NOT into. No worries here if a black cat were to cross my path.

It's pizza and a movie tonight. It's stay in bed past 5:30 tomorrow.
It's church Sunday morning and then pasta in the afternoon....ahhh yes, the weekend is at our door.

Well, winter finally arrived in northern Illinois yesterday, I forgot what snow means to my foyer....


Why I have asked myself did I choose to wash the floors yesterday? Why?
Silly Mom.

Fashion Tip. (mainly for the unmotivated and myself )

Jeff and I have always been active people.
Except this past year...I've gotten a bit lazy. =/

This is the time of year where we decide it's time for change. Get healthy. Get in shape.
Getting motivated ~ That's the hard part.

The thing is, you just have to DO IT!!!
No workout Video/DVD/blu-ray/podcast (Do I have all of technology covered here? ;)
is going to help you unless you are willing to work hard and be diligent.

Don't make an "on Monday I'll start" plan, because guess what? you won't. Start today. Start Now!
Get off your couch and MOVE. Seriously, finish reading this and then stand up.....


and go for a 10 minute walk. Too cold? That's an excuse. Put on a coat and bundle up. You'll get warm.
Ride a bike, take a jog.....Just do something.

Set a time each day and let nothing stop you.
It takes 21 days to make a habit. After three weeks I guarantee you'll be hooked.

I read once that exercising is addicting...I had to agree.
Once you start, it's almost as if your body craves the workout.

You will feel happier. Less tired. More motivated.
Being active plays such a big role in your mood.


Just for fun.....
My friend posted this on facebook the other day, thought it was interesting.


Snapple Agave Melon AntioxidantWater

Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars

Worst Bottled Tea - SoBe Green Tea

Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie


Worst Energy Drink - Rockstar Energy Drink



Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts

Worst Bottled Coffee- Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino

Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers

Worst Soda - Sunkist

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches

Worst Kids’ Drink - Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister

Sugar Equivalent: Two 7-ounce canisters Reddi-wip


Worst Functional Beverage - Arizona Rx Energy

Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Poptarts

Worst Espresso Drink -
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream

Sugar Equivalent: 8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Coffee Ice Cream

Worst Lemonade - Auntie Anne’s Wild Cherry Lemonade Mixer

Sugar Equivalent: 11 bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal

Worst Frozen Coffee Drink - Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte

Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme Doughnuts


Worst Beverage in America - Cold Stone PB&C

Sugar Equivalent: 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies

Have a Great weekend everyone.

A Small Issue.

I was busy today. Rearranging furniture, washing floors, scrubbing everything down...
you know, the usual "I just got over being sick and now we have to get this house back in order!" syndrome. =)

In an attempt to get my cookbooks organized, I realized that I not only inherited my Mother's curly hair,
but also her "You never know when you're going to need it" cookbook mentality.

45. That is the number of cookbooks I own. 45! ~
this is not including my recipe box or the binder of recipes passed down from my Grandma.
OR all the cooking magazines that are stashed in the cabinet.


Am I really going to use 9,000 different ideas from Gooseberry Patch?
Do I Want to make 400 different soups?

The two books we use the most....
The Basics and More Cookbook. Given to me by my Mom in 1999.




Joy of Cooking. All About Breakfast.
Purchased by Jeff at Barnes & Noble a while back. He is the one who actually uses it all the time.




These next two...Hahahaha!!! I can't stop myself from laughing!!!!!Wholesome SUGARFREE cooking...what was I thinking when I wasted THAT $12?!
(Ok, I have made a couple things out of the sugarfree book..and they were delicious. ;)


I'm thinking I need to pare down here.
I like having them just in case...and I do occasionally look through and try new things,
but they are a space taker upper.

It's not only cookbooks though...it's all books I have a hard time getting rid of.

Thinking I need to deal with my small "inherited" issue here.
In the meantime, if you need a recipe idea, you know how to get a hold of me! =)


Time to get out in the SNOW and shovel with my kids!
Yes, I said Snow! We Finally have snow around here!!!
Happy Thursday to ya!

Sick and Sunny.

I have been sick all week. Fever. Headache. Sore throat.
Today I am feeling better, but doing any Major job....
for example, making a grilled cheese sandwich is cause for exhaustion. ;)

Weather this week has been just gorgeous and I have been inside.in bed.sick.
sulky about missing out on walks and bikerides and hanging laundry on the line like my neighbor!

Fighting an attitude like this...


When really I should be thankful that I have only been sick for a couple of days.
I know so many people in the past year that have been battling bigger issues than my mini-flu-like illness.

(Love candid shots sisters take? Never know when they will come in handy.
Not sure what I was talking about in the above photo. Probably something very important like...
"What do you mean someone ate the last piece of chocolate?" or "No, the man said they were on sale!"

Go ahead, feel free to insert your own one liner...it's kind of fun.
Jeff and I were cracking up at my angry eyebrows a minute ago...I think we're a bit slap happy though.
This probably won't be as funny to us in the morning. Ha!)

Today was 53 degrees.sunny.in January.January!This is not normal for us. This time of year we're usually covered in snowy lawns and icy sidewalks.

Since today marks the end of this wonderful spell of pretend spring, we had to take advantage.
Off to the park we went, Mom feeling tired or not.





So glad we went. It was a fun time together....and guess what happens tomorrow?
Snow and Cold. My boys can't wait.

Hope your day was a Grand one.

Fashion Tip Friday ~

Happy Friday everyone.

I turned 35 today. We ate yellow cake with chocolate frosting baked with love by Jeff and my girls. =)
My family came over to celebrate. They just left a little while ago.



Allison asked if I could please, please, please dress like a cowgirl so we could match.
Then she called my sisters and asked them to join us in cowgirl attire.

So I opted out of wearing my grey sweater and jeans. Instead, a denim shirt and plaid flannel skirt is what I wore...
(and my cowboy boots of course. ;)

As birthday traditions go...Jeff took the kids out shopping and they alone without help from their father chose my gifts.
I recieved lots of candy. a candle. a giftcard to Starbucks. new slippers.and probably my favorite of all...

*Warning : You may want to put sunglasses on for the rest of this post.*
"Certainly Red", purchased by Sophia with "some" of her own money. WOW.





Of course it was too beautiful Not to share with all the other ladies in the family....
{The red is the real deal here folks! No boosting of color.} My sister in law Rachel, me and my sister Gianna.



I do love that Sophia put thought into the gift. I also Loved how excited she was to give it to me.
Not sure if I'll be wearing it out on the town though???

So as far as a fashion tip for this week....What do you think of bold colors on the lips? Would you wear "Certainly Red"?
Happy Weekend.

Product of China.

Yesterday I was at Target with my kids.
We were picking up a few things in the grocery department.

Allison and Sam asked if we could get peaches in a can.
(Since their mom didn't can this year...but Hey! we have a freezer full of them.
And, I'll be honest...I HATE canning peaches! It takes soo long and everything is sticky.
I'd rather buy a can here and there throughout the winter.)
I picked up the Market Pantry brand since they were 50 cents cheaper than the other brands.
I looked at the label. The all natural, no sugar added peaches I was about to put into my cart....Product of China.


The same thing happened with a clove of garlic. I had to go to a different grocery store to find garlic grown in the USA.
FYI. Lots of stores carry garlic from China.



Now, just because something is grown in China, does that mean it's not good for us?
Not necessarily, but how do we know? We don't.

I am very, VERY much for buying local.
Yes I am a little bias because we sell at Farmer's Markets, but that is one of the reasons I love doing it so much.

It is a great feeling to provide consumers with products that we can honestly say are good quality.
We are able to tell them where the vegetable was grown,
how the vegetable was grown and what it was sprayed (or not! sprayed) with.



Ok, I'm bunny trailing....I get caught up in market talk and it's January, I still have a while until Summer. =)

Buying from China is not good for our economy.
I put the can back and looked until I found a label that said Product of USA.
It cost an extra 90 cents, but it was worth it to me.

We as a country NEED to support our own.


So..check your labels!!! I'm telling ya, you're going to be very surprised.
Ok. Stepping down from soapbox now.

Happy Thursday.


P.S. The song playing {Expressions} is one of my son's favorites...we are Helen Jane Long fans the two of us. =)
She is a very talented pianist. Enjoy.