marked another one off

Another goal done. I hosted my first naughty party! WooHoo!
I invited a few ladies over and we have a great time laughing and relaxing.
Missy berry from slumber parties, the #1 naughty party company, came to my home and introduced us ladies to a lot of great products to enhance the romance in our lives. Who wouldn't want that? I purchased a few items for myself, and the hubby. I mostly bought lotions, room fragrance, and perfumes. I love the Basic instinct perfume - it smells different for each person, how cool!



As well as a *ahem* personal item. Take a peek at their website and spice up you and your partners sensual sides.

My List of places

I’m feeling blah, today and have been thinking on things a lot. One of those things is places I would love to see or visit before I die. (hopefully not too soon!)

• Eiffel Tower
• Statue of Liberty
• Golden Gate Bridge (done!)
• Times Square
• A Show on Broadway (Wicked)
• Niagara Falls / Maid of the Mist (done!)
• Mt. Kilimanjaro
• The Aurora Borealis
• Grand Canyon
• The Wailing wall
• Venice
• The Louvre
• St. Peter’s basilica
• A gondola ride down the Grand Canal in Venice
• Berlin wall remains
• Have you read Angels and Demons? Seen the movie? Yeah, I want to see all that!
• Disney World with my kids (I went there as a child)
• Ireland, maybe to see Lorelei Rock
• The Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, London, England
• Athens, Greece
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
• Go on a cruise

So now I ask you go blog about what you want to see or do and link back here!

First time at the machine!

So I finally took my sewing machine out of the box and after following the instructional DVD. I can thread the bobbin and the machine. YEA! I fixed Lila's Blankie so all is well in the russell home now, and because I was feeling good I followed this easy tutorial for a little Girls purse so Lila will have a suprise in the morning!

Weigh-in Wednesdays

Ok, I wasn't sure I'd want to join in Sadie's contest. Weight loss is a big deal to me and I wasn't sure I'd want to be held responsible for not making me goal :s. But seeing as how weight loss is on my goal list for 2010, why not get support from a few friends. I'm excided about it but also worried I will fail. I may not post every Wednesday about my weightloss or lack there of, but I will try to atleast once a month.

A little about my struggle. I've been obese (I hate that word!) since Jr. high school, 8th grade, I was 14 and gaining weight fast. I have asthma and couldn't keep up with my peers during recess when I was younger, and that fostered my fear/hate for physical education. By my freshman year of high school I was a size 30! OMG, as if your first year of high school isn't hard enough add in the fact that I was a HUGE fat ass! I had no friends. My mother decided that I should go on a diet. We went to my dr. and after talking with him and having the situation above finally out I was put on Phen-phen. Remember that lovely drug, it was recalled for people dropping dead of heart attacks? I lost 17lbs my first week on it! I was excited until I took a harsh turn to the other side of the weight struggle. By my sophomore year of high school I was thin, but too thin. I had stopped eating and sleeping, and was basically taking speed. I was anorexic, no one wanted to see it. Who wants to tell the previously fat girl 'hey your too skinny'. After that issue was addressed I was at my healthiest for about a year and a half. I want to get back to that. I was a size 16 and loved it! Yes for some a size 16 is huge, but for my frame it looks gorgeous! I had a healthy glow and was flying high.
Me at 17 -

Me now -


I've slowly gained the weight back. I'm not a size 30, but lets just say I'm close. I hope to lose a total of 125lbs, but my current short term goal is 30lbs.
My current weight loss plan consist of WII fit, My weight loss coach (for DS), eating healthier and another prescription diet pill.

I have started on watching what I eat and doing the weight loss coach and have already lost around 3lbs. I did take a weeks worth of the pills but they make my heart race and I couldnt sleep. I may try agian or contact my Dr. about it. Check back to see what I decided.

Brrrr, Freezing!!

We woke up to 1 degree outside and about the same inside. Of course today would be the day our furnace decides to break!

Called maintenance and they arrived within two hours. Yea! Now to wait until it warms up.

New profile picture

Let me draw your attention over to my profile.
Yep, that thing over there ->
I have a new profile picture. Another cool thing that talking to my in-laws on skype has give me. She snapped this pic when we were talking to her this week.
Dont we look cute?



I just love this picture of us. I hate getting my picture taken. So as you can imagine we dont get our pictures taken that often. Oh, I get the childrens done atleast every three months. Robert and I havent had our pictures taken since our wedding. Three years ago and once before that when we were dating.

I won!!

I won a few giveaways and they need to be mentioned here. :)

Firstly, I was one of the lucky winners of a OWOH giveaway event. I won this unique hand crafted bracelet from create with moxie.

Isn't it beautiful??

I also won these great Skoy cloths. I haven't used them yet, but I hear they are great.


And just this week I won not one but two giveaways!

First Sadie from nellie bugs was giving away one of their newest items from their shop. Clippy bows! I chose this one...


and from Real Mom's Real View's - I won the Princess Potty and Pirate Potty books! This was a Godsend because I just recently missed out on getting the princess Potty book last week and was bummed about it.

Scrapbooking my sisters wedding

I decided to take a breake from my own crafts and make a few scrapbook pages of my sisters wedding. I just love her dress and the reception was a blast!






I hope she loves them and I hope to add more once I get all the pictures of the wedding and reception. If you have any scrapbook layouts that would look nice please e-mail me I only have these four.

My mother-in-law watched Peyton's slideshow today and cried. Aww! Her DVD copy of it will be in the mail soon as well as the OWOH prizes. Sorry its been so cold and busy I havent gotten to it yet.

Slide shows

Another goal finally finished!! It took three days thanks to a crappy program that thought it was funny to shut down 1/2 through the project multiple times. UGH! But after the tenth time I wised up and saved every 30 seconds, no joke. I was that sick of it.

But here is Peyton's first year video slide show! I hope you love it as much as I do.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The songs used are, Let them be Little by Billy Dean, My Wish by Rascal Flatts, and You'll Be In My Heart (Tarzan theme) by Phil Collins.

For fun here is Lorelai's -

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Her songs were, Baby of Mine (Dumbo) - Alison Krauss, Let them be Little by Billy Dean, and Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

Sorry I've been MIA

Life has gotten in the way of my blogging of late. One of my little sisters tied the knot this week and her reception was this afternoon. She was a beautiful bride and we wish her all the luck!

I've also spent 3 days trying to make a slideshow for Peyton's first birthday. I'm only 2 months late as it is, and now the program I use wont work. UGH! \

Got to go life calls. I will post more as soon as I can breathe alittle.

Completed part 1 of goal!

here is Lorelai's photobook! What do you think???

Click here to view this photo book larger

And I actually made it all by myself too! I was originally going to get help with this project but once I started it it went by really fast. Peyton's is already 1/2 done too!

Shhhh ..... I have a fantastic secret to share with you

My Favortie Blogger, Sadie from Nellie Bugs is hosting a great giveaway!!

She has made the most adorable hair bows, and is giving one lucky person a bow of their choice. They even match her one of a kind tutus!

Head on over to Nellie Bug's and enter.

Dont miss out stop by her

etsy shop
or
website too!

Check these giveaways out

Over at Ladybugs and Tonka Trucks (what a cute name!) one lucky US blogger will get a chance to win this....

A Seventh Generation, Healthy Home Kit. If you've ever wondered what harsh chemicals you are useding in your home is doing to your family check them out! I love not worring about if my cleaners will harm my children. I use Seventh Generation and Babyganics all the time.

Go there to Enter to win Orglamix Mineral Eye Shadow as well. Go enter its fantastic!

And if your a plus sized momma like me, check out their top giveaway from alright.com

Or if you have little ones and know how hard it is to keep your jewlery out of their mouth you will love the Smart mom jewlery giveaway!!

OWOH Giveaway Winners!

I decided to give 2 lucky people a prize of 5ft of the ribbon. The winners are

#1 - True, www.truesgiftsfromtheheart.blogspot.com
#2 - sewcalgal, www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

please contact me with your info soon! Thank you all who visited my blog.

I wish everyone could have won, and please check back often for more giveaways!

2010 Goal updates!!

Wow I went over my list today and realized I've done quite a few on the list already and well on my way with others. GO ME!!

You can find my goals for 2010 HERE or the link on my sidebar.

1. Make 3 photo books (0/3) (1/2 done!!) Kinda cheating with this one. I got a friend doing it for me.
3. Host 4 giveaways on my blog (1/4) Ends tonight!!
4. frame and hang family pictures (completed 2/10/2010)
9. Clean and organize the Kitchen(completed 2/12/2010)
10. Clean and organize the Dining Room/Laundry (completed 1/29/2010)
11. Clean and organize the Living Room (completed 2/11/2010)
15. make a family recipe book(s) (completed 2/2/2010)
25. Teach Lorelai to count to 20 (5/20)
34. Update photo site monthly (2/12)
36. Call in-laws at least once a week (6/52) We have actually started calling everyday. The kids love talking to Grammy and Papa. We cant wait to get the webcam chats going.
42. Sell at least 5 items from Longaberger. (6/5) (completed 2/14/2010) I SOLD 6 ITEMS in ONE DAY!!! (more than I've sold since I started!)
43. make a rice sock (completed 2/5/2010) Now people are buying them from me.
44. buy Lorelai a tutu (completed 2/12/2010) Thanks Sadie!! She cant wait to get it.
47. buy a sewing machine (completed 2/12/2010) Waiting for it to be shipped to me
48. lean to decorate my blog (completed 1/30/2010, updated 2/14/2010) looks nice right? And I'm learning new blogging tricks everyday like the scrolling side bar I added today!
51. Write a least 15 toy reviews (1/15)

M-O-N-K-E-Y-S!

Monkeys, monkeys Everywhere...
Monkeys, monkeys, in your Hair!!

Our home has been infested with monkeys. Lorelai LOVES monkeys! If she sees on in a store she has to have it and she watches the curious george movies daily!

Here is our monkey collection so far.....

Valentines weekend

Yup its no longer just a day. Somehow its morphed into a weekend affair. My younger sisters are doing it up right. One is spending the weekend at a hotel with her guy and the other is getting MARRIED next week! WOW! My parents are also doing the hotel for the weekend.

Me and the hubby....... stuck at home with the babies. That's OK though we live for these family times. Robert surprised me with a dozen roses, box of chocolates, a teddy bear , romantic card, and a Blu-ray I really wanted. He bought me 'The Time Travelers Wife'. AWWWW! I <3 Him. I got him a card and 2 candy bars, dark chocolate because I know he loves that.

A few weeks ago I took Lorelai to the grocery store and she found the cutest TY stuffed monkey that she 'walked' around the store with. She was so crushed when we had to leave her monkey friend there. I told her that I would really try to go back and buy it for her. Well I did for her valentines gift and for Peyton I got him a really cute TY puppy. When I got into the car I showed them their gifts and they squealed with joy. It just melts my heart at how sweet and loving those kiddos are. They are currently sleeping with their new friends.

Helloo......Delivery Man,

I got a visit from the Schwan's delivery guy and now my freezer is stuffed!

Seriously I wasn't sure it would all fit and I don't suggest anyone open the door without a net and helmet. You will be hurt, LOL. I was surprised to find out that Schwan's isn't as expensive as I thought it was and they take all forms of payment. Who doesn't like home delivery? Especially this cold winter when I'd rather starve than go out to the store.

Good Morning

Finally when I say that I mean it, the morning part! Since my husband lost his job back in September. My well oiled schedule for myself and the children has been ruined. It slowly happened but last week it dawned on me how pathetic it was that we would stay up 1/2 the night and sleep in until almost noon everyday!! That was no way to raise our children.

So as much as it irks the hubby I have made the change. (He's not a moring person, LOL) We have gotten up before 9am the last two days. Its been rough but we'll get back into a better routine soon. Robert and I have still stayed up way to late for our new wake up time but that's our own fault.


And for other great news........ Peyton is walking!! I cant believe it yesterday he just got up and walked after weeks of just cruising the furniture. Its amazing how it just clicks one day and they just go.

Dark days

Have you ever just been sad? I've been suffering from severe depression and anxiety since my youngest was born. If I'm honest with myself it started long before then but add in Post par tum depression and you can guess what happened to me.

I finally broke down and talked to my DR. a few months age about it and after tons of failed medications we found Lexapro worked best for me. Now of course my body is getting used to the meds and they have stopped working. I constantly sleep the day away, don't have the joy for life, and playing with my beautiful babies has become a chore for me. I hate this feeling of hopelessness. I've called the Dr. and now I have to double my dose not something I'm happy about, I just want to be normal. No meds needed, maybe someday.

Oh My Bloggers!!!

As most of you found me through OWOH, I'm sure I dont have to expain it again. (if you didnt find me from OWOH please check my older posts for an explaination of this wonderful event)

I just finished visiting the last blog on the list and the deadline to enter was yesterday. Can you believe that this year the blogger entries stoped at #1105, which is really 1096 - there was a numbering issue but wow 1096 is still darn impressive!!

I have met so many new wonderful people I hope to become friends with. Thank you Lisa for setting this up, without OWOH I wouldnt have had the chance to meet such fun wonderful people.

Dear Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,
You can stop snowing ANY time now!!

As a resident of the Midwest, I am well aware of your wide range of weather abilities. I often wonder if you use us as test subjects, as we seem to get the craziest combinations of temperatures, precipitation, and wind.

This winter started earlier than usual and you have dumped enough snow upon us to freeze hell its self. I feel its only fair that spring should get here ASAP! I sit here stuck in my home with two crazy toddlers with major cabin fever. And I cannot be responsible for what may happen if I have to stay stuck inside for one more week.

If you insist on dumping more snow here at least get in touch with lady luck on my behalf and work out a deal for me to win the lottery. At least then I can buy a one way ticket to somewhere warm. I promise to return in the spring.

More homemade heating pads

Everyone liked the rice sock/homemade heating pad I made. Now everyone wants one :)! So todays project is making more. Robert is off at the store buying about 5 bags of rice and good thing I got that great deal on three pairs of scock. I'm going to need them all.

Completed goals and an extra fun project!

Today I completed another goal on my list!! I also completed one on Feb. 2ND, but forgot to post about it.

I made a Rice sock. If you don't know what a rice sock does read below.
I went to Target and bought these super cute tube socks so that it would be fashionable as well as functional. I got a great deal 3 pairs for $4 on Clearance so I have a few to make for gifts as well.

Overall it was a really simple project, it could have gone smoother had my lil' helper Lorelai not be so, well, helpful. I *Think* I may have used too much lavender oil but I'm sure that it wont hurt anything. As you can see from the wet spot on the heal of the sock.

Making your own at home is super easy and inexpensive — plus your friends will love using the wrap to unwind. All you need is a sock (preferably a longer, knee sock, but most will stretch out), a bag of rice, and lavender or eucalyptus oil, or dried, if you prefer, and some ribbon and note cards (optional for decorating). To learn how to make your own great gift, just keep reading.

1. Fill the sock with rice, making sure there's room at the end to knot it.
2. Add sprigs of lavender or eucalyptus, or fragrant oil to the rice (being careful not to saturate), and knot the end of the sock.
3. Tie the end of the sock with a decorative ribbon and include instructions for heating — just about one to two minutes to get the wrap nice and warm. (you can also pop it in the freezer for a quick ice pack)
4. Wrap the sock around the back part of your neck, lean back, and soak up some soothing heat therapy.

I also finished Our homemade cookbook earlier this week. it looks great and I have plenty of room for more as we find recipes the family enjoys! Right now we have it sorted by Breakfast, Appetizers, Dinner and Desert. If we get a lot more I bought separate binders for each category and enough sheet protectors for 250 pages.


We also made crayons!! Lorelai loved this project and had a blast sorting the colors with mommy.

A great Giveaway from Heck Of A Bunch

Heck Of A Bunch is giving away a personalized lunchbox from frecklebox.com. They offer the cutest personalized items out there. In fact if you look at my Taxes time post you'll see that I'm purchasing many items for both children from their site.

So head on over to Heck Of A Bunch and enter to win!

Stick Family

Craving

OMG I am tottaly craving a Ruben sandwich. Lastnight we were watching 'Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives'. They had a dinner that served Rubens and now I want one badly!!



The best Ruben I ever ate was at Donatello's Restarunt in Niagara Falls. So if your ever in NF stop my there you wont be sorry.

So now I'm off to the grocery to buy corned beef, saurkraut, thousand island dressing, swiss cheese, and rye bread. Yummy!

tax time

So what are you doing with yours?? We are getting a large sum back and after paying back my in-laws alot of money more than half of what we are getting back, we are getting a few things for ourselves....

For me
* Sewing Machine
* Patterns from Heidi&Finn
* Supernatural DVD box set
* A beautiful tree necklace

For the kids one for each
* Toy Box
* Car Seat
* Personalized Growth Chart (frecklebox.com)
* TV with built in DVD player
* Personalized Placemat (frecklebox.com)
* Personalized Stickers (frecklebox.com)

Peyton
* His own Tag Jr.

Lorelai
* A tutu from nellie bugs

Robert
* new laptop
* kindle
* psp

For the Family
* Longaberger measuring cup and pie plate
* TV

Best Burgers EVER!!

My husband and I are Food Network junkies and a few days ago Racheal Ray's 30 min. meals was on and she was making homemade chips and MOP burgers. After watching it Robert wanted to make our version of the meal.

One word can describe them.... ORGASMIC!! OMG they were the best!! I hate homemade burgers, at every family picnic I will choose not to eat rather than eat a burger. BUT these I'd gladly eat every day! Well if it wasnt for the fact that I'd then die of a clogged arteries. I'd love to share with you our version of the best burger.....

Ingredients
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp Parsley
• 2 tsp Garlic
• 4 Tbsp Grill Seasoning (we used gourmet burgers seasoning)
• Provolone Cheese, sliced

1. Preheat large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Coat bottom of a large bowl with olive oil. Add beef, sausage, and seasonings. Mix by hand until well blended. Shape into patties.

2. Put patties in skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes per side until just about done (160®F).

3. Add cheese on top of burgers. Cover until cheese is melted and meat is done. Put on bun and enjoy!

Big Milestone in the Russell house...

We threw away the highchair today! Its the end of an era for us. Almost three years ago Robert and I scoured every Walmart in Nebraska to find this highchair. He could have cared less what highchair we bought but, you dont argue with a hormonal pregnant woman. So after we couldnt find this highchair in MY PATTERN he called his mom in NY - they had it there! So it was shipped to our home and completed the set.


















Lorelai first used it and it followed us into three differnt apartments. After our trip to NY is past summer we came home and it became Peyton's highchair. Lorelai was moved to a hand-me-down booster seat that didnt have a seatbelt. It had become a struggle to get her to sit and not stand at the table.

Peyton is now a big boy and needed a booster and its time to say goodbye to our highchair and say hello to our new big kid chair ..... and while we were at it we got Lorelai one WITH a seatbelt to strap that little monkey in. She even draged her old booster to the dumpster and threw it away herself.

Book Giveaway

Catch the Drift is giving One lucky winner will win both of the "Adventure Of Meno" books (BIG FUN and WET FRIEND) as well as your choice of a custom made Meno or Wishi
go here to enter!!

Follow me to another great giveaway!

Simply Stacie has great giveaways!!

This one is for handcrafted wooden toys for your child. How cool is that?!