It is nap time

Bobby Flay and A Giveaway

2009-12-06T16:15:00.005-06:00

That is right a giveaway just in time for Christmas! Find out how to register for a $25 American Express card at the end of the post. Be sure and read the post and follow the links to enter the Hellmann's free food for a year giveaway!

Thanks to Mom Select, I found out about this great site: Hellmann's Real Holiday Helpings. This site has several great things to offer!

There are some great looking recipes that don't have a lot of ingredients and look pretty easy to make. Hellman's and Best Foods have teamed up with world renown chef Bobby Flay to create some holiday dishes. I know for certain I will be trying the artichoke dip!

Also while you are on the site be sure to register to win FREE GROCERIES FOR A YEAR! Who couldn't use that!!!

There is also a matching game on the site and 3 of the top scorers per day wins a $50 grocery card. I will say that the game got a little frustrating for me, even the though the clock never slowed down, the cards were very slow to turn at times, but still I had fun playing! Hope my score is a winner!!!!

There are also videos of Bobby Flay creating some holiday dishes that will wow your family and guests. My one suggestion is be sure you have a little extra time when heading to the site because there are quiet a few things to see and do.

Now for the Nap Time giveaway. Mom Central sent me a $25 American Express Card for participating in this blog tour and in the spirit of giving, want one of my readers to have one too! So for those of you in the United States that would like a chance to win...

... leave a comment on this post of something that makes the holiday's "real" for you.
....if you would like an extra entry blog about this giveaway and leave the link in your comment.

Good Luck! Will accept entries until midnight (CST) Saturday, Dec. 19th, I will be choosing a winner Sunday the 20th.

Busy and behind

2009-12-03T20:27:00.000-06:00

Over the next few days expect several posts!

December is such a busy month for me, of course there is the Christmas holiday which we celebrate ALOT and Hunter's birthday is at the beginning of the month. Soooo, I am just a little stressed.

We have had one of Hunter's parties and we are having another tomorrow night. I know that I am making myself crazy by doing this but it is easier than making everyone travel.

So, bear with me and get me some appetite suppressants (I eat more when I stress) look for a giveaway post this weekend!!!!

Winner for Nature Valley

2009-11-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

Sorry it took me so long to get to this, the winner of the Nature Valley Prize pack is Nessa!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2009-11-29 19:27:23 UTC

Congrats Nessa!

Gobble Gobble Ho Ho Ho

2009-11-24T09:06:00.000-06:00

I really don't remember when Thanksgiving and Christmas melded together. I know several people who already have their decorations up and honestly I kind of wish mine were up. I have definitely been Christmas shopping for over a month.

Was it always like this for our parents? Or has Thanksgiving and Christmas been getting closer every year. Seriously, I am thinking soon that Christmas will come before Thanksgiving!

So, if you want to know what to get me, I will never turn down a pair of UGG Classic Tall boots! I know, not practical but I do like them!!!

Do you have your shopping finished?

A little ride on the hay...

2009-11-21T08:52:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago we had a hayride at my Dad's. Hunter had a lot of excitement about it the days before but by the time it was time to go he was less than enthusiastic. It was in the middle of nap time (with no nap) that we left out, I think that had a lot to do with. He did enjoy himself but he was not overly bubbly about the whole thing and did fall asleep.

John Loyd slept through most of his first hay ride. I am sure if he could vocalize his thoughts they would have been, "what in the world is a 3 month old baby doing on a hay ride????"

It was a wonderful day trip as we had to come back home that evening. Maybe for our next family outing we can look at outer banks vacation rentals. I am sure it is gorgeous there and that may have to wait until the kids are a little older. For now a day trip here and there is sufficient!

Let the eating begin...

2009-11-19T17:24:00.003-06:00

Well I guess yesterday officially started the Thankgiving/Christmas season for the Brandt's. We went to Hunter's preschool to share Thanksgiving Feast with him. Here are a few photos...

I do love this time of year for what it represents but I have to admit that I do love the food! So, it is time to find a good fat burner because it time to bring on the casseroles and the HAM!

I am going to try to make a couple of pies for Thanksgiving. Also we are changing things a little this year, usually we eat 3 times on Thanksgiving but this year we are pushing one back to Friday. I am so glad. It gets a little overwhelming on Thursday and makes it less enjoyable.

Hope everyone has a very Thankful week next week!!!

Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks with Fiber Review

2009-11-19T17:09:00.003-06:00

Thanks to MomCentral we got to the new Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks with added fiber. We also got a box of Fruit Loops without Fiber so we could compare them. I am not even sure how to say this other than "what fiber?" There was no taste difference.

As a Mom, it is hard for me to get through just he day to day chores, okay I don't always get through them. Then you add trying to make sure your kids are eating right and getting the right amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc., it can be overwhelming. Well when fiber taste like this that is one thing I can mark off my list!

Hunter loves the way they taste and asked for them by name. I keep thinking about that commercial where the women keep coming by and taking more samples "trying to taste the fiber."

If you would like to read more about Kellogg's and Fiber go HERE.

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s and received boxes of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Nature Valley Review and Giveaway

2009-11-18T17:54:00.005-06:00

Thanks to MyBlogSpark we got a chance to try Nature Valley's Granola Nut Clusters and we loved them! I was not surprised that my husband liked them but I must say that I was surprised that I liked them...

We have always been a big fan of the Nature Valley granola bars so I new that they would be quality products but I am not a big fan of nuts. Well I have had my hand in the Clusters bag as much as anyone! There are 4 great flavors, Nut Lovers, Honey Roasted Peanuts, Roasted Almonds, and my favorite - Roasted Cashews.

What a great after school snack for Hunter. He really likes them and they are good for him, what more can a Mom ask for!

Plus these would be great to have around for your holiday parties! I promise your guests will be happy!!!

MyBlogSpark is giving a prize pack away to one of my readers! You get 4 bags of Nut Clusters to try and backpack, water bottle and binoculars for your nature adventures.

To enter just leave a comment about your favorite thing about nature, this is only open to US residents. Good luck and tell your friends to come enter! I will pick a winner one week from today, Wednesday, November 25th.

Spaghetti anyone?

2009-11-18T17:52:00.000-06:00

A quick funny. As I mentioned earlier, we met with our Life Group after church. We had an Italian potluck and I took spaghetti. Let me say that it is the norm for me to take more food than necessary. It is a trait that I acquired from my Dad and well I just error on the side of too much, many times way too much!

So Sunday morning I needed to cook my noodles. I had already prepared the sauce and meatballs. My plan was cook the noodles and then add the sauce and meatballs to the noodles and let everything warm before we went to church. This way, once we got to church nothing would have to be re-heated it would have to be kept warm.

I started the water and asked Brad to put the pasta into the pot after it got a little warmer and I jumped in the shower. Brad did as I asked. From the time I was in the shower until I checked the noodles I got busy dressing the boys. By the time I checked the noodles they were pretty much a mess. Some were mushy, some were hard and there may have been a couple of noodles that were actually al dente.

Part of the problem was that I had enough pasta to feed the entire church! When I poured them out they filled the entire sink! Seriously, I had more that 5 times the amount of noodles I actually needed. So, Brad ran to the store and got more noodles.

We cooked the noodles, put he cold sauce and meatballs in the pot with them and ran out the door. Everything got heated up during Sunday school but do to all the stirring required to get ALL the spaghetti heated my lovely meatballs were no longer balls! Also, we have had spaghetti for lunch and supper 3 times since and I am still going to have to throw some out! When will I learn???

Whose kid is that?

2009-11-15T20:03:00.000-06:00

This morning, Brad and I substituted in Hunter's Sunday class. We quickly found out that teaching a class that Hunter is in is not a very good idea! He was a stinker throughout most of the class. It did not take much for him to pout and cross his arms. At one point he even got up and sat at a different table from the rest of the kids.

I wonder what it is that makes kids act differently around their parents than they do other adults?

After class we ate with our Life Group and then came home and spent some wonderful time outside. It was sooo warm! Brad washed the cars and one point Hunter was running around without a shirt.

I have so much to do in the house but I just had to take advantage of the nice weather. I should be taking advantage of a free web directory to help promote my blog but I am just too lazy!!!

Someday...

2009-11-13T09:10:00.002-06:00

I am loving this fall weather that we are having here in the south. The days are so nice. Brad has worked on the leaves once, I say once because I know there will be at least two more rounds! Hunter had a blast jumping in the piles, as you can see. He was even still in his jammies.

Brad is good at getting the outside done but we definitely need some things done inside! We need some floor tiles in the basement. After a major leak downstairs we have had to pull up the NASTY carpet that was down there and I would like to have some tiles put down. I would also like to have them put into the laundry room. I am sure I just need to add this to my "when I win the lottery list". Someday...

Who is that...

2009-11-13T09:01:00.000-06:00

...in the mirror?

Who else does this? When I think about myself (okay maybe a little egocentric) in my minds eye I am still in my twenties. I don't see the almost 40 year old. A lot of the people with kids my age are younger so maybe that is it. But I seriously don't think of myself as almost 40 and then...

I look in the mirror or wake up all stiff or try to stay up past 10! Why can't my body go along with what my mind thinks? It is way past time to start going heavy on the eye cream! And I guess some exercise is going to start being a part of my daily routine!!!

My Boys!

2009-11-07T09:30:00.000-06:00

My boys! They already love each other so much and it is such a joy to watch!

Things are still crazy here. Stuff everywhere, toys, clothes, furniture, yada yada yada... However, I do daily give thanks for the chaos. I know how very blessed I am and do not want to take anything for granted. Yes, I have bills that worry me, yes I have clothes that I can't get into, I am tired a lot, and as always I have one of the messiest houses around but I am happy. There you go I have 2 beautiful boys, a roof over my head and a wonderful husband and family.

Who knows, one day I might even have a motor home with motorhome insurance to tool around in but until then, I am happy now if I could just keep that in mind when I get aggravated at the kids or the dog!!!

Trick or Treat Zoom Zoom

2009-11-05T19:10:00.003-06:00

To no one's shock that knows him, Hunter was a Race Car driver for Halloween. Seriously, we actually watch Nascar qualifying on Saturdays. I can see us now motorhome towing and following the NASCAR circuit!

Our first outing was at Trunk or Treat at church. Hunter ended up upset because there was a racing "trunk" that had a diecast car that he could not have so he pouted the rest of the night.

On actual Halloween he had a pretty good time but did not go to many houses, that can be read "Mom did not get enough chocolate!"

Here are a few of our pics...

Hunter carving pumpkins - notice his is a race car!

John Loyd's first Halloween dress up...

My little driver...

The "trunk" and it's owner that caused Hutner to be sad the rest of the night...

Rough Ruff

2009-11-05T19:08:00.000-06:00

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before but here goes. Hunter will not leave Maddie (the dog) alone. And even though she puts up with a lot, she is a dog and I just know that one day she is going to snap, literally!

I fuss, I yell, I spank but nothing seems to keep him from pushing her buttons. Sometimes it is good play that they do with her toys but other times it is him teasing her or pushing her. I guess it could be worse, we could have a cat and cat supplies around the house as well. Wish us luck!

Watch me go

2009-10-30T10:25:00.000-05:00

Zoom zoom! The days are flying by and I need more hours in my day! As I talked about earlier I have started doing some part-time work from home. I am enjoying it but of course it does take up hours in the day. I have also been working on my continuing education for my insurance license. I waited way to long to start it so now I am under the gun. Why do I do that?

The boys are doing well and we did get out H1N1 shots (except for the baby of course.) Hunter is excited about Halloween and I all I can think of is the next thing I need to do. With Christmas and Hunter's birthday coming up soon I have not only birthday invitation but holiday invitations to think about as well. Not to mention I still have to get John Loyd's birth announcements out! Whew!

Hunter and Brad carved pumpkins last night and I hope before the weekend is over I can get some pictures uploaded and posted!

Everyone have a spooktacular Halloween!

Moving on up...

2009-10-26T07:02:00.002-05:00

...stairs. Oh my! Our house now looks like someone has broken in and trashed the place! We knew that when the baby arrived we would eventually have to move upstairs. The way our old house is laid out does not make it possible to put one kid upstairs by themselves. Soooooooo up we all go. Now officially there are only 2 small bedrooms upstairs but there is also a den like area (it used to be a separate apartment). The den area will be our "bedroom", it is not the best layout but we will make it work.

Now back to the mess. I would love to have a professional come in and put stuff where it should go, maybe I can find more one way links and get enough money to hire one! haaa haaa! We did sleep up there last night and I guess we will take it a day at a time and eventually things will be where they should be.

I hope it happens soon!

Evenflo Smart Steps - Nutrition Help

2009-10-26T06:55:00.000-05:00

Nutrition, portion sizes, good carbs, whole grains, these are things that I never gave a lot of thought before becoming a Mom. Now, I gave food a lot of thought and have given most diets a try but making sure someone else (and an often picky someone else) is eating right is a whole new game!

Evenflo recognizes this and has created some products to help parents get their little eaters started on the right track! Evenflo Smart Steps have products for each stage your child goes through. Thanks to Mom Central we got to test the following products:

I love how these cups have built in insulation! Hunter is bad to leave his cup somewhere and then drink from it hours later!

These labels just wash off! This is wonderful for sending his food to preschool!

Hunter and I both love these! No more guessing if I have given him too much!

Little hands will find these easier to use as they learn to eat with something other than their fingers.

You can learn about all these products plus others at the Mom Central site you can also download a couple of coupons!!!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Evenflo and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

What's in your future?

2009-10-23T20:50:00.000-05:00

As a stay at home mom who has to budget and watch where every penny goes, I often think about a time when my boys are in school and I will be working again. It often crosses my mind to look into teaching so that I can have a schedule that is similar to the kids.

Western Governors University offers an online teaching degree. The University was founded by 19 U.S. governors to help expand access to quality education. It is a nonprofit, totally on-line university. WGU is both regionally and nationally accredited.

The tuition is semester based instead of credit based so it more affordable than other reputable on-line schools. WGU also offers some partial scholarships. Every student has a mentor and self-paced learning. There is also a graduation you can attend in person or via a live Web simulcast.

If you are looking to get an online degree in teaching, business, nursing or information technology check out Western Governors University.

Fun fun fun

2009-10-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

The past week was a pretty busy one but in a good way. Had lunch with some friends that I had not seen in a while, went to the Science Center with another friend and her kids and John Loyd got a good 2 month check-up. I was a little surprised to find out that he weighed an entire pound less than Hunter did at this age.

On the day of our outing, we ate at the Aquarium Restaurant and the food was really good but seems a tad high to me. The kids seemed to have had a great time and Marsha and I were exhausted when it was all over.

Here are some pictures from our Science Center and Aquarium Restaurant outing...

Hunter lifting the car

Loving cars like he does, I am surprised he wasn't looking for the spoilers.

Petting the stingrays. Hunter loved this!

Again, another car...

And my baby, being a great baby while everyone else played!

What a Great Game

2009-10-12T12:44:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at the Tennessee game on Saturday. The Vols looked great! It was such a fun game to attend. There were fun people sitting around us and we were there with great company!

The night before I had dinner with my family, my mom, step-dad, dad, his girlfriend, my brother, s-i-l, and niece. We had cake afterwards. There were even candles! It was a great weekend!

Hunter has been working on his "race cars", before long I will have to order him some plastic knobs for his "car machines".

So, we are making it and finding our new "normal". I do hope that the Vols keep it up and I wish that the Titans would find some juice of their own!!!

Let's Go Team

2009-10-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

Well today is my birthday! I am the big 37 and sometimes feel much older! Tonight we are having dinner with my family and tomorrow Brad and I are going to the UT/Georgia game, Go Vols!

Now, it could be considered much needed medical travel, I just hope that the boys are good for my Mom and those she has commissioned to be home for the task at hand.

I of course have the fear of them running out of milk or me leaking all over myself while I am gone. But I am sure it will all be fine and we will have a great time. I just wish I were more sure of the how the Vols will do!!!

Sing Me A Song!

2009-10-06T16:04:00.000-05:00

What is better than a man with a velvet voice singing to you? One that looks like Harry Connick Jr. singing to you!

I got the wonderful chance to review the new Harry Connick Jr. CD Your Songs, it was Great!!! Close your eyes (as long as you are not driving) and let Harry sing to you.

The songs chosen for this CD are wonderfully selected to make a woman feel special! All girls need and deserve that! Here is the tracklist and who the song was originally performed by:

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

I can honestly recommend this Album to not only Harry Connick Jr. fans but to fans of great classic love songs!

Shortcuts for a busy Mom

2009-10-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

Pack lunches at night, lay out clothes before bed, take a bath the night before; these are all things that get done in some houses to save time in the morning.

As a now mother of 2, I am learning some of these tricks. And just to show you how crazy it is around here, let me start with why this post is getting written on the last day of the Smucker's blog tour.

Thanks to Mom Central I was to receive a coupon to give Smucker's Uncrustables a try and then blog about it. So, I was looking through my e-mail making sure that I was current with things I am supposed to be reviewing and noticed that I had not received my Smucker's coupon. So, I e-mailed the nice people at Mom Central and they replied quickly that they were sorry and my coupon would be on it's way.

After that I decided to go back through the stack of neglected mail to make sure I had not missed it. Well of course it was there so I promptly sent my apology e-mail, blamed it on lack of sleep and hope to be forgiven.

The point of my long narrative is that from time to time we all need an Uncrustable day! The sandwich is made and we just have to put it on a plate or pack it. No assembly required!!!

These sandwiches now come in a whole-wheat version! What could be better? Knowing your child is eating something healthy and getting out the door on time!

I am so sorry that this did not get posted until the last day but if you are reading this today (Monday, October 5th, 2009) go to the Uncrustables site for a chance to win a free box of sandwiches! Hurry, go now...

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smucker’s Uncrustables and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Back yard Safari

2009-10-02T15:14:00.000-05:00

Still trying to find our "new normal" around here. We have a very blessed life and as aware of that as I am sometimes I still feel crazy!

I start my new part-time from home job Monday and am curious as to how I will do. There were several things I wanted to done around the house before then but I haven't been able to get through them. I must remember that most of these things are trivial and they will get done when they get done.

We are planning on moving upstairs (our bedrooms) in a couple of weeks. I am really looking forward to it - I hope that it works out. After it is all done I may be looking for miami hotel deals or maybe somewhere closer but a get-a-way no less...

We have been going on "animal" hunts in the back yard/field. You would not believe all the animals back there, I had no idea that we had elephants, giraffes, alligators, hippos and even some baby zebras that are crying (thanks Wonder Pets). I love watching Hunter use his imagination!

Getting ready to go find some "animals"

Daddy is having to carry the backpack...

Heading to field...

Maddie searching for real animals...