These are a few of my favorite things…

My friend Shannon suggested I write a blog entry about some of the websites I use a lot that others might like too! So, here are a few of my favorite…websites!

• www.reasors.com

Yep! A grocery store website is one of my favorites! Why? Because I am now doing all of my grocery shopping online! It took a little getting used to how to use the site, but now that I know how to use it, I’m convinced it is going to help me keep my sanity! I am now buying groceries only twice a month and making my dinner menus for two weeks at a time. It is working out great! We still have to stop for milk or something occasionally but that is way easier than shopping with two 3-year-olds a jillion times a month!

I go on their website anytime and add things to my cart. The site saves your cart until you are ready to check out. You can buy groceries, produce, toiletries, paper goods, stamps, etc. I add them to my online cart and when I am ready I just submit my order and drive through their pick up area and they load the groceries in my car and I drive away!

The main reasons I like it are:

• I save money by not buying impulse items.
• I check my recipes and pantry and don’t end up with things I don’t need or without things that I do.
• It only costs $5 for the service and they don’t allow tipping of the person that loads them in my car.
• I do not have to grocery shop with two 3-year-olds or during my rare alone time.
• You can watch your total as you shop and I don’t overspend.
• You don't even have to get out of the car! Last time I went "grocery shopping" my kids didn't even bring their shoes!
• They call you on the phone if an item is out of stock and offer replacement options.
  
• You can enter coupons and now I’m finally using coupons (I never had time for those before.)

• www.vistaprint.com

This is the site that I’ve used to make postcards, calendars, magnets, address labels and more. They allow you to upload a photo (I use my kids, of course) and use it for all of these products. The best part? You can make all of these items for FREE! You only pay a one time fee to upload a photo (so I use the same one for everything! It is either $2.50 or $5 to upload depending on the current “sale.”) Then you only pay shipping for the stuff you buy.

In order to get the free stuff, you sign up for their email list. They will send you emails with links to free items. Do not buy anything that costs! Everything is eventually free! The shipping can be expensive (like $10ish) but if you pack your cart full of note cards, pens, address stamps, etc. it is definitely worth it. You can make your projects and save them in your account until you have several things ready to buy.

I use this especially at Christmas for fun stocking stuffers, thank you notes, and more. Just don’t blame me for their annoying weekly emails. Just hit delete instead, ha ha!

• http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

This is just a funny blog that I like to look through when I need a laugh. She features pictures of funny cakes gone wrong. It just gives me a chuckle!

• www.ebates.com

This is one of those sites that gives you cash back for shopping online. You just go to their site first and see if the place you are shopping with is on there. If it is, you just click on it and continue like normal. You will be directed to the regular website for gap, walmart, etc. Once you check out, your ebates account is credited with a percentage of your purchase (usually 2% to 10% of your purchase). It isn’t much, but if you are going to be shopping anyway you might as well use it. I get my photos through snapfish and sometimes shop at walmart.com so I just go to ebates first and then shop. Then once a quarter ebates just sends you a check. My checks have always been like $10 or $15 but hey, free money. If you do want to sign up you can do it through this link: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=APMzjh2kgcjAhVkkyviqfg%3D%3D and you get a $5 starting bonus.

• http://www.google.com/reader

Google Reader is a great thing if you read several blogs! Several of my friends have blogs so this is great for me. You just enter the address of the blog you want to follow and it keeps them all in one place. Then when you go to your Google Reader page, it will tell you which blogs have new entries and you can read them right there without having to go to every different blog. Private blogs won’t work with this, though, so you still have to go to those separately. Definitely a big time saver!

• http://picasa.google.com/

If you don’t already have a way to organize your photos online, I love Picasa for this! It is free and easy to use. You can edit and store your digital pictures. And best of all, there are buttons at the bottom that allow you to email photos, purchase photos through walmart or anywhere, blog photos, or send photos to facebook with one click of one button!! That is my favorite part! (The facebook button has to be installed, but it is still free.)

• www.hulu.com

Nathan didn’t want me to post my list without adding one for him! So, here is one for Nate. He loves this site! On Hulu you can watch tons of free television programs and movies on your computer. You’ll be amazed at some of the old series shows we watched as kids that are on there. And there is current stuff, too, of course. Nathan says it is a great way to spend a lunch hour. Of course, I don’t know what a lunch “hour” is. I’ve always been a teacher or stay-at-home mom so I’ve been lucky to get a lunch “ten minutes” but I’ll take his word for it!

Well, that’s it for now! Now in the comment section, please leave some of YOUR favorite sites! I want to check them out!!!!

Happy January!

Daddy and Ross are "twins" in their striped sweaters! Ross is so funny about getting his picture taken. He is more than willing to pose and smile but only for about .05 seconds. Since my camera battery isn't the best it usually takes a few tries to get a good one because I have to say, "Oh wait, Ross! I didn't get it!" and he will smile again...for another .05 seconds! Sometimes the word "Freeze!" works for me!

This is the pose I got from Noelle when I asked her to let me take her picture!
She is into posing these days and especially likes to give a good "pose" and then come running to the camera to "see it." When I was growing up, we had to wait several days after turning in the roll of film to "see it!" Of course we also only got to watch what was on TV at that present moment and couldn't skip over commercials, so times have changed all around! ha ha!

Well, this is a random picture of my little bulletin board in the kitchen. The reason I'm posting it is to point out one of my new year's resolutions...cooking more and being more organized in the kitchen! On the clip is a "Dinner Menu" for two weeks. That's one of my goals of the new year and so far so good! Here are some of my goals of 2009 (in no particular order):

* Spend more time in God's Word!
* Be the best loving wife I can be.
* Be a patient Mommy!
* Organize closets and cabinets.
* Make menus for dinners/do grocery shopping for two weeks at a time.
* Eat out only once a week.
* Spend money more wisely.
* Be better about keeping up with returning emails, calls, keeping up with friends, etc.

I'm sure there are more, but those are some! Hope you all are having a wonderful 2009 and are enjoying the snow days we're having right now!

I've been Tagged!

Several of my friends tagged me to post the fourth picture of my fourth picture folder on my computer. Since our folders are the months of the year, this picture is from April of 2008.

This is Noelle on "Pajama Day" at school! She and Ross got to wear their PJs to school that day and they were so cute! I remember worrying about whether they needed warm PJs or cold PJs because it was at a time when some days were cool and some were warm! Of course these weren't the PJs they wore to bed the night before. So, we woke up and changed from our pajamas into our...pajamas!! Had to be cute ones, you know!!

New Year's Day

On New Year's Day we had the honor of an invite to the house of our friends, Elliot and Erin and thier sweet baby boy! We had a delicious meal and a wonderful time with old and new friends!

Here is Elliot getting on to me for something!

Erin filling her plate with some of the delicious food they made!

Just some of the food! We had sausage, bacon, quiche, eggs, homemade biscuits and gravy, homemade cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, and more! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it all again!

Noelle and Ross enjoyed it, too, and combined they ate about six big cinnamon rolls I think!
What a great way to start off the new year!

Happy New Year!

It is 2009! I am hoping to be better this year about putting more stories and text with my blog posts! So, I will start by saying that the kids had a wonderful birthday/Christmas season and we were very blessed to be able to spend so much time with family and friends!

I'm including this Play-doh picture because that sums up a lot of what the kids enjoy doing these days--art! They love making things with Play-doh, paints, colors, scissors, etc. They are both creative! I have to share that yesterday Ross rigged up a thing using Noelle's beads to hang his animals from the trampoline handles (long story!) Anyway, when I asked him how he came up with that idea he said, "I used my imagination!!" He was so proud!

I can't believe my babies are three now and I will post something about each of them this week in honor of their third birthday! I am proud and excited to be their mom. Sometimes I'm amazed that God let me have this path in life--what a joy!

Here's to a wonderful 2009!

Hippopotamus for Christmas