I’ve Got 99…

Ok, so I’m totally copying Miss K from Love, Lipstick and Pearls on this post, be sure to check hers out (and her blog of course) I love posts like this, they’re so fun! I also love being able to BOLD things…makes them seem SO important!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band   I played along with the steel drum band in Jamaica! (Bucket List!!)

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis  I had BOY cousins..they made me do things I didnt want to!

10. Sang a solo …in the shower?

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightening storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch  Baking..CakePops..Decorating Cakes…

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables …SOON!!! Very Soon!

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort   I also built colored snowmen!

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

 27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person I have NOT….which is enfuriating, considering my husband is FROM CANADA!

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business   SIMMPLY SWEET..Yay!

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason Only once…but flowers for no reason, are my favorite!

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma  Twice..got sick both times. After that I was told that I couldn’t give blood anymore!    Turns out if you get sick they have to toss your blood!

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square   Bucket List!

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job Being laid off totally counts! Especially when it hurts as bad as being fired!

 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car   Close enough…it only had 403 Miles

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating..Kinda…I helped?

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury ..for a LONG 3 months

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Got a tattoo

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

What could you bold? How many? I have 41..pretty proud of that!

Ipods from Cohen

For quite some time, I have been following the In This Wonderful Life blog.  I couldnt tell you how I ended up at her blog in the first place. But I do know that from that very moment, I have felt compelled to keep with with Megan and her hubby; as well as her family.   I started following the blog shortly after Megan and her husband found out that the child they had prayed for was going to be born with ‘a broken heart’ as she says. To this day, I will never forget as things progressed with their pregnancy and learned more about Cohen’s Congenital Heart Defects, I cried and cried. I was unable fathom the way that they must be feeling. At the same time though, Megan and Brent were such an inspiration to not just me, but I assume ALL of their readers.  Cohen’s Story is detailed on her blog… And that alone, is amazing to me, I dont know that I would have been able to detail everything that they were going through as expectant parents. I think you should read it, grab the Kleenex first.

Cohen was born on June 7, 2010 and spent 11 days with his family here on earth before he became their beautiful guardian angel. When I got home the day I read that Cohen had gotten his wings, I talked to Greg and cried to him about how I was heart broken for his mom and dad. I went on and on about how I couldnt imagine what they were feeling and that I couldnt believe how strong they had been through their journey. I remember Greg just looking at me and saying that he loved that I was so emotionally invested in someone that I didnt even know.   I had never thought about it like that. I had and still have never met Megan..or Brent; I had never commented on her blog; or emailed her Good Luck, or Best Wishes. But at the same time, I felt so connected because I had been following them on their journey. And because of that, I as upset that I could do nothing to help their family, or ease the pain that they were feeling.

I have had many, many family members and friends with heart problems as well, and I guess I just feel compelled to feel for those that are dealing with the same sorts of things.

In her blog, she often refers to ‘Cohen’s Broken Heart’ but I dont think that his heart was broken…I think that it was so incredibly full with love, that it just couldnt contain it. And Cohen’s love has certainly not gone away or lessened in anyway. Cohen gave his mommy and daddy the greatest gift he could last year, all the way from heaven. He sent them not one, but TWO beautiful babies. And not only that, but he blessed them with a good pregnancy and HEALTHY babies with strong hearts.   I have very much enjoyed following along with that journey as well. And yet again, I got ‘that look’ from my hubby when I called him at work to tell him that little Knox and Sloane had been born. I think he might think I am crazy! 

All of that being said…Cohen’s amazingly, thoughtful parents have decided that they want to do something in Cohen’s honor that will help families like theirs as they are going through tough journeys. They have decided to provide the hospital where Cohen spent his 11 days with Ipod Touch’s for each of their 18 rooms. Those will allow the patients and family many conveniences that Megan and Brent relied on while they were there. Ipods from Cohen is an incredible idea. Megan provided a little insight on their project to a company that had offered to help:
We are hoping to start a project in memory of our son, Cohen. Cohen had a broken heart and was at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas TX, from June 7, 2010 and passed away at Children’s on June 18, 2010. We underwent a major heart surgery and several other surgeries and procedures. He was quite the fighter. While he was in the hospital, he loved listening to music on our iPod (which was located on our iPhone). Though the hospital did play standard background music, we felt it would be nice if Cohen could listen to the same music as his mommy and daddy, which he heard before he was ever born. We felt like he enjoyed it as well as responded to it. He had previously smiled for us when we turned on music during an ultrasound. With this project, we are hoping to raise money to purchase iPod Touches for each of the rooms in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Medical Center. This way, the children can listen to the music at any time. The older ones can also play games for entertainment. If the parents need to access the Internet, but don’t have a computer, they can do that also. Along with the music and Internet, the iPod Touch also offers “face time.” You can speak to someone on the phone and see them if they have a phone that offers this or an iPod touch. You could also Skype. We think this would be a great way for children to visit with their loved ones and be able to see them even if they can’t be there at the hospital. If the family does not have a camera of their own, the iPod Touch also takes pictures. They could then email the pictures from the touch to themselves or a loved on. We cherish each and every one of our pictures and videos we have of our little boy. We would be honored to make this donation in memory of him. We think having this technology available at Children’s would be a wonderful amenity and that every patient, family member and friend would be very grateful. We are hoping to be able to donate 18 iPod Touches and their cost is approximately $229. We appreciate you contacting us and feel any amount of help would be a blessing.

Ipods from Cohen is just another way that Megan and Brent have displayed their strength.  This was posted on their blog quite some time ago and I immediately knew that I wanted to do something to help them. However, I have not been in a position where I would be able to donate a large sum of money to help with their cause, although, I certainly wish that I had.  A little over a month ago, I realized that I would be able to help, and I emailed Megan regarding a Scentsy Fundraiser. At the time I told her that I would love to help them raise money to put towards Cohen’s Donations.  I offered to set up a Scentsy Fundraiser, that I would post on my blog, my Facebook Pages, and spread the word to ANYONE that I thought would be interested in helping. I would run my fundraiser on my Scentsy Page for a month, and in turn, I would donate the 20% commission that I receive to the Ipods from Cohen Project. As luck would have it and maybe, just maybe Cohen pulled some strings…but since I originally emailed Megan, I have bumped up in my Scentsy level and I am now recieving 25% on my orders. Remember though, that change was made on May 1st…I received an email from Megan yesterday asking if I would still be interested in doing the fundraiser for the remainder of May. She apologized that she had not gotten back to me until after the first of the month…but I was happy to tell her that I would, and elated to tell her that I would be able to donate more than I had originally told her!

The fundraisers were listed on her blog yesterday (there are MANY other than just Scentsy) , and I sincerely hope to be flooded by orders soon, all of which will benefit Ipods from Cohen! That being said, I would be sooo thankful if any of you would like to place an order to help this wonderful cause! In addition to the commissions that are received from the fundraiser; I am going to be donating the Commissions received from the sales at my Launch Party on Friday, May 25th.  Everyone can use Scentsy, believe me, even Greg loves them!!  In addition to being a perfect alternative to the candles that you may have burning in your home… Scentsy is a perfect gift for any occassion. Mothers Day, Father Day…birthdays, weddings (the Bride warmer is gorgeous).   You are able to follow this link; it will take you directly to the Party that will benefit Cohen!

And if you would like to make a donation personally to benefit Ipods for Cohen you can email Megan at inthiswonderfullife@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for your support!

Well….Fancy Meeting You Here!

Lets not pretend that I have been a normal blogger lately…Lets not go over the reasons that I haven’t been blogging regularly…And lets not even recap what I have been doing since, oh, January when I last blogged.  Instead, Lets just get to the good stuff…

THIS GAL IS GOING TO VEGAS!

As exciting as that is, I would be even more excited if the Hubs were coming with me. Sadly, he has made it VERY clear that he will be home taking care of our pooch. Mind you, we have awesome people that would watch her, he just needed an excuse to get out of going with me. I know what you are thinking…..why would you EVER want an excuse to miss Sin City?!

Well, this would be a good time to tell you all that I am now selling Scentsy! And as luck would have it, the 2012 Scentsy Convention is being held in Las Vegas in July!

Yahoooooooo   Unfortunately though, my Hubby is not a fan of heading to Convention, or even chilling by the pool all day without his wifey :(   So, I will be venturing to LV with some pretty great ladies!  And, of course, because it is SUCH a small world, hopefully the last evening there, I will get a chance to hang out with some pretty awesome people from the Big City of Ransom! Who knew we would be visiting at the same time!?

Im so excited about getting to go back to Vegas!! I was there once..in a land far far away. LOL   I was TWELVE. Dont get me wrong, it was a good time with the family! My dad won the trip (dressed as the Budweiser Alligator) at a Halloween Party. The trip included my FIRST plane ride, my FIRST trip to LV, FIRST time in a casino,  and my FIRST hotel stay where we had to remove ALL the bedding and BUY sheets to sleep on. We stayed at two different hotels, one was super nice (parents paid for that one,) the other one, that was included in his prize…well, it was a little rough. Orange bedding AND carpeting!  Thats the stuff that memories are made of, lemme tell ya what! LOL  May not have been the greatest hotel stay ever, but we are still talking about it 15+ years later!  haha

Im told that a lot of things have changed since I was there the last time. All that I am worried about having changed is the quality of hotel room…and the fact that I can gamble now!

Contrary to the above, I am not just excited about going on a little vaca, I am STOKED about becoming an Independant Scentsy Consultant! I signed up in March, and I have already closed 3 parties! Thanks to some great gals like hosted to help me get my foot in the door.

I am not a ‘pusher’ when it comes to selling things, I could never cut it as a car saleswoman. And let’s be real, they only kept me in the orders dept of my last job for 4 days before getting me outta sales!    I have always toyed with the idea of selling Scentsy, because I honestly do LOVE the products (and absolutely love the new companies that they are coming out with!) So, I had decided that if I ever ventured out to a direct sales company, it would be Scentsy. Simply because I USE the product, I am PROUD of the product and its quite inexpensive.  If you guys are anything like me, you have been invited to MANY house parties by your friends. You get there and feel obligated to purchase something, even if it not something that you are necessarily interested in…then you open the catalog and realize that they dont sell anything for under $40..add shipping and tax, OUTRAGEOUS!  Scentsy is not like that AT ALL. We offer MANY options for burners in different sizes and prices, as well as inexpensive wax, and tons of other things all at very affordable prices! And shipping..FREE in most cases, otherwise its $5!!! $5 is nothing! Not only that, but Scentsy has just launched their Layers line which focuses on body care (lotions, shower gel, perfumes, etc) as well as laundry care (washer whiffs and dryer disks) all of which are available in some of your favorite Scentsy smells!

Now, I said that I am not a pusher, which made me nervous to sign up in the first place. I mean, I dont want to commit to something and then not be able to do my best at it, AND make money doing it. At the same time, I don’t expect to be able to quit my job and pay the bills solely off the Scentsy Paycheck. But lets be real, I got my first paycheck the other day, and I was sooo excited. I literally woke the Mr. up in the middle of the night to let him know that my check had been deposited. It was NOT a jaw droppping amount by any means. But, it was over $100 for my first month, and I am still not sure how I ‘worked’ to earn that money?!  I mean, this check consisted of 2 parties, both of which were held by friends, and where I think they were AWESOME parties, and I am proud to say that my first two party orders were $200+ and $300+.  Imagine what I could make in a years time??  And this is before I even have had my official “Launch Party.”  Which is something that Scentsy suggests a new consultant does first. Well…lemme just fill you in on something, I didnt really intend to start HAVING parties until after my Launch–which is not until Memorial Day weekend! However, I have already closed 3 parties, have one going on right now and have THREE more scheduled before my Launch even happens!

I am thankful to have friends and family that have offered to host parties at this point. And I am even luckier to have signed up with such and extraordinary company that happens to have a product that virtually sells itself!! My first check was over $100..which means that I have ALREADY made a profit from the company! My start up was only $99 and included TONS of product!

Again…Im not a pusher…but I am a people pleaser! And if you or anyone that you know would be interested in hosting a party, or even learning more about becoming a rep, I would be THRILLED to help.  Warning…Shameless Plug…Check out my website, or comment on this post!!

www.doneidasimms.scentsy.us

Are you a Donor??

12 years ago (yikes) when I had just started drivers ed class I was stoked to get my license. Much like every other 15 year old going through these same motions, they were just that…the steps we HAD to take before we were able to get that little card..the one that meant we could drive…Friday nights without parents having to pick you up, and the ‘assumed’ freedom, or so we thought. I am ashamed to say that as we were going through those motions, I didnt pay too much attention to the ‘paperwork’..I mean, other than the drivers test of course That being said, I would like to say that I thought long and hard about what it meant to check the box that said “Organ Donor,” but sadly, I dont think I did. I cant tell you why I made the choice to check that box years ago.

An Inspiration!

Last year at this very moment, I was doing something very similar to what I am doing right now. I was sitting on my couch in front of the computer. You see, I had been doing the very same thing since I got home from work that day, and I continued to do that until very early the next morning. However, last year at this time, my cell phone was literally SITTING on the computer, if I walked away, which was rare, the phone went with me. You see, around 1:30pm January 19th last year, my cell phone rang. I can still tell you exactly how I felt when I looked down and saw the screen say “TRACY.” I would love to say that I jumped right to excitement that Mellody must have gotten “the call.” But I didnt, at no point did I think it could be that, it was too soon for “the call,” they said it would be much longer before “the call.” Instead, I automatically panicked, thinking the worst. And as if Tracy hadnt been through enough already by that point, I was crying before I could even answer. Luckily, Tracy was clearly expecting this sort of reaction. Because I think I talked to the calmest and most panicked Tracy. I am not sure where she got her attitude that day, but Tracy…you were incredible. I would NOT have been able to hold things together the way that you did that day, and in the days following. I mean, I was a mess and I didnt even get to Chicago! I cant tell you what Tracy said to me on the phone that day, but I remember what it meant..it meant, January 19, 2011 will ALWAYS be known as “The Call” Day. That was it, Mellody got the call, there was a heart on the way, and she was headed to Chicago to start a new adventure, that was her word the day before. When we were talking about the LONG adventure that she would be on, waiting for the call..little did we know that it would come hours later. After I hung up the phone with Tracy, I apparently thought it would be wise to call Mellody…I have NO idea what I was thinking. Apparently, I had some sort of out of body experience where I thought I was a strong willed, non-emotional woman…I was wrong. When Mel picked up, I was a basket case, we both were. The only words that I could muster up…were “I love you.” That was it, no wonderful words of advice, no thoughtful wisdom, just that I loved her…it counts right?

Days Before Her Transplant

I would love to be able to say that things were that easy. That from that point on, the time that Mellody’s phone rang that day, that things were wonderful. But it doesnt work like that. Don’t get me wrong, Ms. Mellody has AMAZED everyone that knows her since early that next morning when she came out of surgery, with her new heart. She recovered quickly, with a few bumps in the road considering what she had been through. A year later, she is still continuing to fight strong and be incredible.

But it wasnt all “rainbows and unicorns,” to quote a pretty amazing guy. It is great to know that Mellody did get that heart, and wonderful to know that it changed her life for the better. Those things did happen, unfortunately though, its not as though Mellody won the “heart transplant lottery.” Somewhere, there was a family that was on the opposite end of what was a blessing for Mellody. While we are celebrating Mellody’s One Year Heart Birthday, there is a family suffering the loss of their loved one. I can tell you that there are a few dates this year that I am dreading, because those days will forever be known as the day that we lost a loved one. Over the past year, if there is one thing that Mel has taught me, and I hope a lot of people is that while we are celebrating how far she has come, we need to remember the sacrifice that someone made for her. As we are thanking our lucky stars that she got another chance, we need to thank God for giving her donor the strength to mark that box next to “Organ Donor” on their license. So tonight, and tomorrow as I celebrate my friend, the amazing person that she is and the remarkable way that she has changed my life with her courage, strength and incredible will power…I will also be remembering the angel that saved Mel, and their family that is still grieving for the loss of their loved one.

Just A Month After Her Transplant

I truly believe that you can never thank someone for the type of gift that they give by simply checking that little box. I am attaching a few links below, with information on being a donor, as well as one where you are able to sign up to become a donor, if you are not.

Understanding Donation
Become a Donor

 

All I Want For Christmas…

Welp, since I already have my two front teeth (and so do the special people in my life ), I thought it would be fun to do a post with my Christmas List. Plus, there are about 500 other people in the Blog World that are doing the same, so, it has me thinking!

First things First..

The Michael Buble’ Christmas CD was on my list…but I just couldn’t wait that long! I bought the CD about a week after it came out and have been sneaking listens ever since. LOVE LOVE LOVE this man! And Love him even more as the Christmas Crooner! Soooo proud of my Momma for picking this CD up as well!

Kindle Fire

This is definitely on the top of my Wish List this year!  And I am about 98% certain that Santa has already dropped this perfect gift off for me and the Hubs at my Mom & Dad’s House! Super excited to bust it out and start playing! We have both already been to Target to play with their Demo version!! I never intended to have a Kindle of any sort…I love reading actual, old, dusty, outdated PAPER books?! Can you imagine?! Let me just be clear though..if it were up to me, I would be asking for actual books for Christmas rather than a Tablet. But…some smartie decided to close our local bookstore, and I like reading to much to just cut back. And there are really no close bookstores near us. So, if I was going to ask for a Kindle…may as well go all out right?!

Sparkly

I would love the Hubs to pick me up a pair of this for under the tree this year! Believe it or not, I am 20…well, 20-Something, and I JUST started wearing earrings. Dont get me wrong, I have had my ears pierced, probably 5 times. Just never religiously wore earrings. However, now I do…and as a “Congrats for being a Jewelry GrownUp” Gift, I would love to have Diamond Earrings!

Arbonne MakeUp Brushes

I may have asked for these brushes…and then took it back. However, I have thought about it and deep down, I would really like them. But, if I dont get them, I can understand why! LoL  That being said, I have a sister in law that sells Arbonne, so I can always place an order I guess. And in the event that YOU would like these brushes, drop me a line and I can get you in touch with a pretty great sales lady!

 

 

Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan

If you know me at all…you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE me some Jason Aldean!  I am also very fond of Mr. Bryan as well! Luckily, a little blonde elf slipped a message to Santa, and I will be going to “Shake It” for Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan in 2012! I am STOKED to start the year out with these fantastic men! And can’t wait to enjoy the concert with some pretty fantastic ladies too!

 

Grocery Bag Holder

I might have stole this from someone elses wish list…but boy am I glad that I did! Have you guys ever seen something like this?!  When I was growing up and mom went to get groceries we ALWAYS had to be ready to bring them in when she got home. Whether we were doing homework, or on the phone with friends, or watching our “favorite show” we had to stop what we were doing to ‘bring in the groceries.’ So I got really good at bringing in as many bags at one time as I could. I still do that to this day! Even if it means by the time I get in the house I cant feel anything past my elbow, and my fingers are purple!   This will greatly eleviate that issue! Perfect Stocking Stuffer…You can get it HERE. 

 

Ahh...Jamaica

This one is pretty much a long shot…a VERY LONG shot! But this one time..The Hubs and I got the gift of JAMAICA for Christmas and I would love to go back! It is fantastic! We are already planning a Vow Renewal there for our 7th…ahem, 10th Anniversary. A girl can dream, right?! 

So…What do YOU want for Christmas?

Jumpin’ Jingle Bells..December Already?!

My goodness…apparently time has gotten away from me! I dont know that I blogged AT ALL in November! There has been tons going on though, and although it is done and over..I have to blog about it! Because…well..thats what I do!  I have lots to catch up on, but since it is about time for the snow to start flying, I wanted to update my “Fall Bucket List.” First though…Let me just tell you, just to the left of the couch where I am typing this–the Mr. is laying on the couch with his ADORABLE nephew whispering a bedtime story into his cute little ears! Melt my freaking heart!!! It has been so nice to have Logan, and his momma here…I know a super softy man that is going to be very sad to see that little boy go home in just a few days!

Doesn’t Get Cuter Than This

 And…onto the Bucket List. If I say so myself, I actually did pretty well getting most of my missions completed.
1- Make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies–For whatever reason, I didnt take any photos of these. But I DID make them again, and they were just as good this time as they were last time. So good in fact, that when I attempted to bring the left overs home after the cook out that I took them to…a pretty, pregnant lady had already snatched them up so that no one else could get to them! *Success* 
2-Paint Pumpkins–I did, I did! I had big painting plans…I didnt exactly do them the way that I had planned, but I LOVED the way that they turned out!

Fall 2011

 3- Have a Bonfire–I believe we actually did this a few times! Pretty typical of Fall in this area though!
4- Pick Apples–Sadly, I was unable to complete this! Its absolutely on my list for next year though!!!
5-Walk for Suicide Awareness–Most definitely one of my favorite Fall Events this year! I blogged about the incredible amount raised, HERE! I had a great time and was amazed and so touched by the support at this walk! I can promise that this will become a tradition!
6-Make Pumpkin Spice CakePops–YUM YUM YUM!! I made these, and they were so delicious! I was able to sneak in some Cinnamon, Caramel Sprinkles from Tastefully Simple to put on top!

Mmmm…Yummy!

7-Get to at least ONE Football Game–Something else that I previously blogged about. But I was so thankful this year to be able to go to a few football games! I went to Homecoming Game where the Hubs went to High School with some super cute little kiddos, I went to a game where my Sissy goes to College during Family Weekend, and then I was able to go with a bunch of family to see one of my Cousins play for his High School Team as well!
8- Host a Bears Football Party–This previous Sunday, we hosted a small Football Party at our house for some of our close friends and the Hubby’s Family from Canada. It was sooo much fun, even though it didn’t fair so well for my Bears! 

Having Fun with the Oven Mitts

9- Make Smore’s CakePops–I was unable to complete this one    There is still time though, this will get done sooner or later!
10- Have a Pile of Leave’s PhotoShoot–Not this year friends    Someday though, Mrs. Maggie Medema will hopefully take some fun pics of my family in leaves! 
11- Visit a Corn Maze –Wow…apparently 9, 10, and 11 were unlucky numbers for my Bucket List 
12- Visit a Haunted House–Or..12 for that matter. There were many times I was supposed to head to the haunted house with some friends, we just never made it.
13- BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING–If you know me…you KNOW that I wouldn’t miss this for the world!  7:30pm on Thanksgiving night, I was IN the zone! The Black Friday Zone that is! Me, My Sister, and Gregs sister started our night about 7:30 at WalMart…Also, visited: Bath and Body Works, Maurices, Target, Menards and Kohls…TWICE, and were home about 8:30 that morning. Melissa had NEVER been Black Friday shopping before, and wasnt even quite sure what all it included. Boy oh Boy…did she learn! I think she loved it though. Her and Her Hubs are already planning on DRIVING down next year to spend MY favorite Holiday with us! 

WalMart…Black Friday..About 10pm

So, all in all, I think I did alright with the list this year! Not too bad at least. All of that being said, I have a confession to make…when I started the blog tonight, I was wrong. Shhh…dont tell Greg though, as far as he knows…I am NEVER wrong    Anyways…at the start of this post, I started with a photo and the caption “Doesnt Get Cuter Than This”…about an hour later…it HAS in fact gotten cuter! This is what I am looking at to my left now:

Seriously…LOVE this

I hope that all of you have a wonderful first weekend of December…24 days until Christmas!!!

 

Weekend Wrap Up

Haven’t done a Weekend Post in a while…but I had a super fun weekend so I thought I would tell all of you about it!    And glancing at the calendar..I have LOTS of fun weekends coming up, so hopefully you will get to hear all about them too!

Friday night I spent fixing an “oops!”  There was a benefit locally for a boy who has idiopathic nephrotic syndrome FSGS. Jonah is a 14 year old boy, who recently went to his first Homecoming Dance. Now, that would seem fairly ‘average’ for most of us, but with Jonah’s illness, the dance was a great opportunity to meet new people, and hang out with friends. You see, Jonah had to quit school last year due to the illness, so its great to be able to take part in the fun, ‘average’ activities. Sadly, I do not know Jonah very well. But I do know his family. Jonah’s dad, aunts and uncles grew up in the same little town that I did. I went to school with his Uncle Mikey, and knew most of his family fairly well. When I heard about the benefit, I knew that I wanted to donate something from Simmply Sweet. So, Thursday night, I prepared a cute little green (FSGS Awareness colors) and white CakePop Basket. What I didnt know though, was that the wind was going to howl through my house Thursday night and knock that basket off the buffet in my dining room!    CakePops FAIL.  I was planning to deliver that basket Friday after work, so, there was no way I could redo the basket. I have been meaning to try my hand at Candy Bouquets though, so what better chance than Friday Night! I had a great time making the basket, learned some new things I hope to use in the future. And when it was all over, I was able to donate a cool looking candy bouquet and a gift certificate for 2 dozen cake pops! I didnt make it to the benefit in time to see it go, but I hear the basket was auctioned off and made a little cash for a good cause!

 

Simmply Sweet’s First Candy Bouquet

Saturday…was Sweetest Day. I like most girls love a little affection and flowers. BUT..I dont think they get more “Hallmark Holiday” than Sweetest Day! That being said, I didnt even get to SEE my Sweetie until after 10pm that night!  I was okay with that though, because I spent a great day AND night with my Sweet Momma!  Saturday was the Taste of Home Cooking Show and we had a great time!! It was a really neat experience with lots of fun, singing, laughs, giveaways, tips and lessons to help just about anyone in the kitchen! This was the first show we had been to, and I can guarantee that I will be back! The Specialist that hosted the show was hilarious, Guy Klinzing was so much fun! He made the time fly, AND taught me quite a few new recipes and fun tips. I especially like the one about how to keep the cling wrap from CLINGING to everything! Thanks Guy!!

Guy Working His Magic

After the Show on Saturday, mom and I visited a few other fun places..the Halloween Store (can’t WAIT for the party,) we went to TWO wineries and did a little tasting…mom bought a little too  , and then we were off to the Benefit. It was yet another experience where I was amazed at the outpouring of support.  About 10pm, I got back to town and was able to see my hubby…and by “see” I mean, I saw him through a vehicle. We hung out with some friends for about 2 hours…but since it was SOOO cold, we lined the cars up and talked through them. A rather common experience!    Once we finally got home..there was about 10 minutes left of Sweetest Day..and I was excited to use the “Hallmark Holiday” as an excuse to request a little cuddle time…then his pager went off! And he was off to a 4 hour call…   A Day in the Life..I tell ya!

 

Sunday was a great day! Got a little cleaning done, got some groceries, worked on a Halloween Costume, watched (part of) a pretty great Football game…GO BEARS, AND…made a super cute, super easy Fall Wreath. Im excited now to get the yard decorated in the next couple days..

 

Happy Fall…Ya’ll

All in all…an amazing fall weekend. Luckily there is another one on deck for this weekend!  Stoked for Family Weekend at WIU!!!!