LETS TAKE A TRIP

Aloha Friday!

My husband and I are thinking of getting away for a weekend here soon (just the two of us). Yes, that's right no kids! I don't think I can say that with enough glee in a post to express how excited I am about a get away, WITH OUT KIDS.

We are trying to think of a nice place two spend about three days. At the top of our list is Nashville, Tennessee.

So my Question(s):

Have you ever been to Nashville, Tennessee? If you have did you like it and did you do anything fun? If you have not been to Nashville, tell me about one of your favorite weekend get away spots?

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Leftover Food

Aloha!
So it is Friday and I am exhausted from this week. Lets take it easy today and keep it simple, shall we.

Question: Do you use up or throw away majority of your leftovers? If you are successful at using your leftovers, how do you do it?

I feel like we waist so much food. We always have extra food left over after a meal. It will go in a pretty plastic container and then into the fridge, never to be seen again. OK it is seen again just sometimes it is unrecognizable (did I just admit that), but never found until I am cleaning out the fridge a couple weeks later. At that point everything ends up in the trash.

I always forget that we have stuff that needs to be used up. Then when I do think about it I find that it is no longer any good.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

ALOHA HALLOWEEN VERSION

ALOHA FRIDAY!

Halloween is about a month away. I started looking and thinking about costumes back in August. One thing I do is procrastinate to the last possible minute for Halloween costumes. Every year I freak out because I can’t find the costume that Luke wants to be. Last year we made our Sponge Bob costume and we were up (OK my husband was up, I quit at midnight) almost all night finishing it for school the next day. Click if you feel like checking out last years home made Sponge Bob costume.

This year we have known for a while now and I still have not made the purchase. Luke wants to be Indiana Jones, I hate the costume and want to find the various elements instead of buying the costume. Thomas loves to pretend to be a puppy so that was an easy choice. I found a really cute puppy costume but it costs way too much money. I found one at Target that is not as cute but much cheaper. I just find that my lack of ability to make a choice and buy the darn thing is what causes me to end up on the short end of things each year.

(LUKE, AGE 2)

So my question:

Have you already bought your kids Halloween costumes?

If they are grown and don’t dress up anymore did you always buy them early or last minute? Oh and when I say early I am thinking before October.

I swear everyone buys them early and is why I end up in the same dilemma each and every year.

(LUKE, AGE 3)

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Kitchen Organizing

Aloha!

Last weekend I made my first ever trip to an IKEA store. It is not close to my home but I have wanted to go for a really long time.

Wow, Wow & Wow... I love this store.

I did not buy anything because I really think about everything before I make a purchase but they had lots of great kitchen gadgets and storage ideas for the kitchen.
So with that said, my question for you:
Do you have any cool items in your kitchen for storing and organizing things?

I have a kitchen from the 80's and the cabinets are awful and I have nothing to help with organizing them. At least not yet! I found these great wall mount organizers that you hang on the wall under the cabinets. Each display kitchen had them and put lots of different items in them. I am certain this is going to be my first IKEA purchase.


Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

CAKE DECORATING

ALOHA and Happy Friday!

My Question(s) this week......

Have you ever decorated a cake for a celebration?
Did you go big or small?
Have you ever used fondant icing?
Any tips or tricks?

I have not done this before but I am seriously considering it for my son's 2 birthday in October. He loves Mickey Mouse and I am thinking about making a Club house cake.

I have done a lot of research, read a lot of tips and tricks but I am scared to death it will be a catastrophe. I say this because I just made a double layer cake the other day and just the icing job on it was awful.

I have been watching lots of the cake decorating shows and they make it look so easy. I am probably getting in way over my head. I might have to do a test cake first to see just how bad it will be.

LAST QUESTION: SHOULD I TRY THIS OR HAVE I LOST MY MIND?

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

SAVING ENERGY

Aloha!

Another Friday and an especially good one since it is a long holiday weekend. I am hoping all of you will get to enjoy your Labor Day.

So my Question:
Who is the "ENERGY POLICE" in your house?
What I mean is who is always patrolling the lights, doors, running water in your home to keep the utility costs down?

Unfortunately I have assumed that role in my house. So I get to be the mean person who yells because the door is standing wide open and we are cooling the outside. Or someone left the light on in the bathroom. Who am I kidding, they leave every light on in this house.

I believe I inherited this "Energy Police" role from my father. When I was a kid all I could ever remember was hearing things like

"Close that door, were you born in a bar?"
"Turn that light off."
"You don't need these lights on."

All things I hated hearing as a kid and yet I am saying them all the time.

I was really hoping my husband would assume this role because he is as bad as the kids. I have been making him pay the electric bill in hopes that he would see it has lots of room for improvement. I guess he doesn't see what I see. Nothing has changed!!!

Oh well off to deal with light switches and open doors. LOL.....

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Playing Hooky

ALOHA FRIDAY Question:

Have you ever called yourself in sick to work but were not really sick?

If & when you do this do you go off for the day and play or do you just hang around the house?

I am a person who is such a big chicken that I have never called myself in sick to have a play day. I am just convinced that I would get caught so it is out of the question for me. Plus I would have such a guilty conscious that it would eat me up.

I have however called myself in sick for a much needed day of rest. I may not be truly ill but if I am run down and see no signs for rest in the future, I will take a day, send the kids off daycare/school and I will crawl back in bad. I then spend the rest of the day either vegetating on the couch or resting in my bed.

I know this is a bad thing but who’s not to say this day of rest that I take (maybe once or twice a year) isn’t keeping me from missing several days because I run myself so down I end up very sick. I know my body and I see the signs and I know when it is telling me it needs a break.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Dreams

Aloha Friday!

Dreams are one of those things that I will never understand. I find them to be a very strange phenomenon. I say this because I had a weird dream recently and no idea where any of it came from. I don’t want to share my dream but it was interesting that it included a very close friend of mine from when I was a kid and we were friends all the way up until we graduated from high school. He lives a couple states away and besides the occasional birthday message or email we don’t speak. We haven’t actually seen each other in 8 years.

I guess what I am saying is, I don’t understand why I had this dream or how my old friend ended up in this dream. I don’t remember having any thoughts or communication with him in a long time so what made my brain decide to put him into my dream. Also explain to me how my emotions and feelings in my dream were so real and so vivid to me. Even now as I write this I can remember the details of my dream and the feelings I experienced. Most dreams I forget 90% of the details almost instantly after I have awakened in the morning.

QUESTIONS:

Do you think dreams are purely random?

Do you think they are a deep manifestation of real feelings?

Have you had a dream that has freaked you out and makes you wonder where it came from?

I really question this because I am not sure. I want to say yes and no to both. I say that because I have had those psycho dreams before where someone is chasing you in the woods. Lol….Usually occurs after a stupid scary movie. It just seems like most of my dreams I can tie to something from my day. This particular dream I can’t tie to my day and I can’t explain the feelings or emotions or how real this particular dream felt. It just leaves me with questions of why.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

aloha friday (DIY)

Aloha Friday

Question:

Are you a do-it-yourself (DIY) person?

Fortunately and unfortunately my husband and I are DIY’s. I am so blessed that we are able to fix, remodel and do some many things around our house. It really does save a lot of money but on the other end it is a bit of a curse. I feel as though we don’t get much done and we just can’t bring ourselves to pay someone when we know we can do it ourselves. The problem is we can do it but don’t always have the time. Blessing or a curse, I am just not sure.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

WORKING (ALOHA FRIDAY)

Aloha Friday!

The school year is fast approaching and Luke will be going into first grade. Last fall I had a meltdown because I wasn’t managing two kids, working 40 plus hours a week and so on. So I went to my boss and worked a plan to cut my hours down to 32 hours a week. I was pleased that I could be a Marketing Professional and work for a company that allows me to work on a part time scale. Who could ask for anything better? Anyway I work 8-5 (Mon, Tues & Thurs) and 8-12 (Wed & Fri).

I have loved having these half days. The whole reason for the half days was so I could remove Luke from expensive daycare and I would pick him up from school on these days and grandmas got him on the other days. Now going into first grade we no longer technically need those half days.

SO MY QUESTIONS:

1. Do I keep my half days that I really do love?

2. Do I change my schedule again and work 8- 3:15 each day? This would allow more evening time for homework, etc.

3. Do I do what my husband really wants me to do and go back to working full time?

Warning: Do not pick # 3 or you will no longer be my friend, because I don’t like this option. LOL….

In all seriousness this is what my husband wants me to do. We have argued over this because I am managing my life so much better with working fewer hours. I do all the kid running, all the house cleaning and 90% of the cooking. It seems unfair that he expects me to carry this load and he is not OK with me working part time. I would also like to say money is not a factor here at all. Technically, money isn’t a factor for me working at all because I buy groceries, pay for child care and am about to make my last car payment.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

ONE YEAR AGO

My Aloha Friday Question:

How long have you been blogging?

I started my blog one year ago today. I can't believe I have been blogging for a full year. Time goes so fast!

I look back and I remember reading a couple books and trying to figure out what blogging was all about. I spent a month thinking about the whole thing before I ever actually started a blog.

I have to say I am so glad that I decided to do this. I have found this world of wonderful people who share their lives and who let me share my life with them.

I have made some really great blogging friends who are very real, have wonderful families and are just all around wonderful people to know. I love reading all of your blogs even those of you who rarely ever blog anymore.

Heatherlyn @ Scatter Sunshine
Jenn @ T-Rex Mom & Dad Tales or you can meet little T-Rex himself at T-Rex Tales
LT @ A Day With Two
Peanut @ Peanut, Peanut Lover & the Wee Nuts
Caitlin @ It's Spelled Caitlin
Maggie @ Life With Boys
Diane @ Good Morning, Glory!
Cynically Optimistic
Tiffany @ My Southern Hippy Mom of 4 Life
Ally @ Mommy Love
Jessie @ Muthering Heights
Terri @ Let Me Think On It

That list seems very short to me so if I forgot to add you here, please, please, please forgive me. Check out all of their blogs, they really are great!

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Aloha Friday, TOYS, TOYS, TOYS

Aloha Friday Question:

What is your favorite tip or trick for organizing toys?

For those of you who don’t have kids, how do you organize your toys? It can be anything really, I just need ideas to reduce the clutter, have easy access to things and not such a mess all the time.

I spent two days this week doing nothing but organizing toys. I threw two bags of broken, not working toys in the trash and I have another two bags of items to give to charity. The toys in this house are out of control. We have two toy boxes, and a couple shelving units that have baskets of different toys. Yet, I still can’t keep my house in an organized state.

I find it so easy to toss out things that are broken and don’t work. I have a harder time getting rid of things that are not broken but I can do it. The kids are even worse at letting things go, Luke will happily give up a toy if it means he can go buy a new one. Someone needs to explain that it doesn’t work that way.

I have three large baskets full of big, medium and small Lego’s. Really, how many Lego’s does a kid need? Three, count them three baskets of cars… We can’t play with this many cars at one time so why on earth do we have so many? Then there are all the trains, dinosaurs, games, puzzles…. Do I really need to go on, I think you get the idea. If you have kids, I know you get the idea.

The worst part is I must do all this when the kid’s dad is not home. He is worse than the kids and he won’t let me get rid of a thing. Luke has bunk beds and the top bunk is covered in stuffed animals. I said I was going to bag most of them up and get rid of them and he had a fit. Seriously, no one plays with them and they are doing nothing but collecting dust. Personally, I don’t think the wall-to-wall toys bother him because he doesn’t pick them up all the time like I do.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Talk or Text

TGIF & ALOHA FRIDAY

So this week has been crazy for me.
Everyday this week it has been the same routine:

• Work
• Vacation Bible School
• Bed
• Repeat
• (except today (FRIDAY) I took a vacation day because I need a break)
  

My house is a total wreck and I don't understand why. We haven't been home except to sleep.

So as Kailani says, it is Friday and lets take it easy.
Question: TALK or TEXT? Simple enough!

My Answer: I am slowly getting into texting. I always thought a text was very impersonal but I now feel like it is a quick way to get an answer with out a long drawn out conversation.

When I say slowly, it is literally. Tiny buttons and I don't know the codes to make things simple so I am slow at sending a message.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

My $50 Store

Aloha Friday!

My Question:
What store always cost you more money than you ever wanted to spend when you shop at that store?
Does your store always hit a minimum dollar amount?

My Answer:
Target
Target is my $50 minimum store. I don't care if I walk in with a list that has 2 items on it. By the time I get to the check out I have spent at least $50. It happens every single time.

I need to throw on the blinders and grab only what is on my list. Yet I never do and as I am walking through the store I say,

Oh I need laundry soap,
oh we need tissue's,
oh look they have tumbler cups on clearance for $1
Oh and don't even let me step foot in the baby department and start looking at the clearance clothing racks. Ugh....

I so love Target and yet I so hate Target.

The worst part is Target is right up the street from my work so I frequent it often. I am willing to bet they are smiling every time they see me walking into their store.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

All Hung Up

Aloha Friday!

I am all hung up! I got a CD about 4 months ago and never really listened to it. I bought it for 1 song and hoping that I would like all the others but never really got into listing to it.

While on vacation I heard a new song a couple times on different radio stations. I just fell in love with this song. The funny thing was the first few times I heard it I didn't know who the song artist was. This was driving me crazy!

Then I figured it out and I got all excited because guess what, I have the song on CD. I own the CD with this great song.

Oh would you like to know who the mystery song and artist is?
The song is "Whatever It Is"from the Zac Brown Band
Most of you probably know them for their catchy song
Chicken Fried.

Needless to say I am now wearing the heck out the entire CD and loving it.

So I want to know:
A: Do you buy a CD just for 1 song? Do you listen to all of it or focus just on that song?

B: What band, group or artist are you currently hung up on?



If you are curious here is a YouTube video of the song I am raving about. It is such a beautiful song and I find so many of the songs inspiring and they put me in a really good mood.


Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Funny Kids

ALOHA FRIDAY

So blogging hasn't been happening much this week. So much going on at work and at home that I really haven't had the time. Thank goodness come noon today things will return to normal. I have not had time to really think up a good question for this week.

So I am going on the fly and asking:
What is something funny your child has said to you recently?

My answer: we were driving in the car on Fathers Day and Luke looks down at his legs. "Wow, I have a lot of hair on my legs. Mommy, daddy... I am turning into a man." We laughed until it hurt. Remember he is only 6. Then on Monday this silly child found a clump of dog hair and puts it under his arm and says "look I have hair."

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Drama-Mama

Let me introduce you to me niece Miss "C". I call her drama-mama. When this child does not get what she wants she throws the biggest fit I have ever seen. It goes on forever and she doesn't let it go!

See this black swim shirt she is wearing? Day one at the beach both girls got sun burnt. I always make my boys wear the UV swim shirts because the sun at the beach is so strong. Since they got sun burnt we went and bought the girls swim shirts. Drama-mama here did not want to wear this shirt. Two days in a row at the beach she screamed and cried and wanted this shirt off.

The problem was solved when we put the shirt under Nemo. She didn't tell us she wanted Nemo but once we did this the shirt was OK.

This was not the only time this child threw a royal fit about clothes.

Now for my Aloha Friday question:

My poor mother-in-law has no clue how to make clothing choices easier with drama-mama. Do any of you have advice on how to make picking out clothes with a very opinionated 2 year old easier? Do any of you have children like this?

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

VACATIONS FROM THE PAST

We are about to take another wonderful family vacation. I will fill you in on the details of our trip when we return.

As a tribute to the past I thought I would go back in time and share some of our past vacations. So here is my Friday Photo Flashback:

Play along with Friday Photo Flashback.


1995 - Hawaii
This was one of the first vacations that Eric and I ever went on together.

1997 - Mackinac (Mackinaw) Island
If you have never been here it is a really fun place to go.

This is a picture of Eric and I on the fairy over to the island. Oh to be in my early 20's again!

1998 - Cruise in the Caribbean
This was also our Wedding in St. Thomas and honey moon.

2005 - Naples Florida

Luke was two and this trip was the first time he had ever flown on an airplane. It was exciting. The photo was of a boat cruise we took and he hated it! He was one grumpy kid this whole cruise, the good part was it was just us and one other couple on the boat. We have a video recording of this somewhere.

2006 - Mackinaw Island (again) This really is one of our favorite vacation spots. It is such a fun family type place.

Here is a photo of Luke after we took an island tour by horse. On this island their are no cars allowed. You either travel by walking, riding a bike or by horse. What I love about this photo is to this day you can ask Luke about this trip and he will tell you that the horses in this photo are named Molly and Sam.
2008 - Destin Florida


This was last summers vacation and Thomas's first vacation with us. Every afternoon he took a nap under the big umbrella on the beach. It was so cute to see. Don't you just love those chunky legs.

For Aloha Friday, my question this week is:
Where is your favorite vacation destination?
Obviously you can tell we really like the water and going to the beach.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Skin Care

Aloha Friday # 33

Recently I went to a skin care party held by a friend of mine. She showed us all these really nice but really expensive exfoliation products, skin rejuvenation products and cleansing products. Very nice stuff but also very, very expensive products, I am not talking $50 but in the $100+ dollar range for very tiny bottles of stuff. By nature I am a very cheap person and this type of stuff is so out of my league.

As she is going through her sales pitch she keeps pointing out how many people are resorting to plastic surgery and how these are better alternatives. This seems like the wrong sales pitch for me because I have never considered plastic surgery of any type. I am fine with my skin and my looks. I am not a vain person, I except what God has given me as it is.

At the end of the session she had everyone do a UV light test to show the damage to our skins from the sun etc. Of course I have sun damage, I am 34 years old and rarely, if ever do I where sun screen. Plus I have noticed sun spots starting to appear around my nose that didn’t use to be their. OK so the UV light showed me I really do need to start wearing sun screen.

Here is where it got fun when my friend starts in on her individual sale after evaluating my skin. First question, what type of skin care products do you use? Uh… Dove soap. Now I would like to say this, I have extremely oily skin and the Dove soap came recommended from a dermatologist. For years I tried many different skin cleansers and always broke out. I stopped using these facial cleansers, switched to soap and guess what, I have very clear skin with the exception of my once a month pimple. Sorry nothing is stopping that one. The only time I didn’t have that once a month pimple was when I was not having a period during pregnancy and breastfeeding. My skin glowed then. One of the plusses of pregnancy and nursing I guess.

Anyway, my friend totally appalled at my skin care choices tried to convince me that I need to get through a cleansing phase in order to properly clean out my skin and then I will stop breaking outs from using those products. Explain to me why I would buy expensive cleansers so that I can break out when I can buy a $2 bar of soap that I use in the shower and it keeps my skin clear. I didn’t get it.

So my question(s) for you today are:
What type of skin care regiment do you do for your skin?
Do you cleans, tone, lotions, sunscreen, etc.?
Do you buy expensive stuff or do you keep it simple?
Have you tried a skin rejuvenator?

Sorry for so many questions, I am just curious to know if I am the only one that really doesn’t do much for my skin. I am considering trying a rejuvenator but I really am not sure I need it or if it is worth it. Oh and I am going to find something that provides regular sun screen care for my face as well. I can’t keep letting the sun do its damage.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Prom Night - Flash Back

Let’s crank up the time machine and go back in time….

17 years back in time to be exact.

The year… 1992!

This was my husband’s senior prom and this was my junior prom. Don’t panic, we were not married way back then just dating. Actually we had only been dating a few short months before all of this. I had no clue way back then that we would be where we are today. It has been a long and sometimes bumpy road but it has been our road.

I laugh at this photo with my curly hair and Eric still has hair.

17 years can really take its tool.

My Aloha Friday question this week:

Did you go to your prom when you were in highschool?

On this night (shown above) it was my husband's senior prom. I did not go to his school but my junior prom was the same night so we went to his prom instead. Don't worry the very next year we went to my senior prom.

Play along at An Island Life for Aloha Friday. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life.

Play along with Friday Photo Flashback.