Buried….

It’s me. Yes, I am still here. Buried.



Ok, well, I am not literally buried under boxes, but it feels like that. The Holiday season is a very busy time for all of us. I am usually fine with the normal hustle and bustle. But I think I may have taken on too much this year…lol!
Between being class mom for both of my kids, teaching religion classes, volunteering to run the school holiday party through the PTA and doing my annual cookie exchange with my girlfriends, I am totally over overwhelmed and exhausted. There is truly not enough hours in the day. Someone please remind me next year to not volunteer so much!  Oh, and I still have a ton of  shopping to do and let’s not even talk about wrapping!! 

The fact is that it will all get done. It always does. I just wish I had a few little elves to help me….lol. We did manage to get our Christmas pictures done this past weekend. Now I just need to find the time to make and mail the cards. We met with a professional photographer this year instead of going to Target.  It was so much BETTER!! The price was about the same and there was no waiting and I didn't feel rushed.  

So, I will leave you with a few shots. I hope to get by and check on all my bloggy buddies real soon. Hope you are all doing great!




Happy Hump Day!

Happy Belated Turkey Day, Happy Black Friday

Hello bloggy buddies!! Just wanted to check in and say hello. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and families. Ours was great, filled with lots of yummy food (that I cooked…lol) and lots of laughs.


Are you all out braving the crowds today on Black Friday?? I wanted to go out last night, but by the time my company left and I cleaned up, I was way too tired. And I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this…….


I may head out now for a bit and see what happens. Wish me luck!!

I will be back around next week, hoping to catch up on my blog reading.

Have a great weekend!

Guilt….

Happy Hump Day everyone!! Hope this post finds you all well. Things are slowly starting to get back to normal here after Hurricane Sandy. The clean-up is underway. The kids finally went back to school today after being off for 11 days. I think we all were grateful for a little normalcy!! 

I know that not everyone understands the magnitude of the devastation here because you are in other parts of the country. And I guess it was like us when we would watch Hurricane Katrina or other disasters that had taken place outside our little niche of the world. But in all my 36 years of life, I have never experienced seeing such loss so close to home. It is mind boggling. But, just like we got through 9/11, we will recover and rebuild and come back stronger than ever!! 

The awesome thing is seeing so many people rally together to help. There are shelters and warming centers for those who still have no power. The food and clothing drives are everywhere. And although we cannot take away the loss that so many have suffered, we can help. The kids and I brought a bunch of coats, hats, scarves and blankets down to a local organization the other day. We donated to the Red Cross. And as soon as the gas situation gets better (there is NO gas here, people are waiting hours and even fighting over it) I plan to go out and buy some more things to donate.  And I know I am doing what I can to help, but there is a “survivor’s guilt” that kind of takes over. Why were we okay?  How come we were fortunate and others weren’t? I am guessing it is pretty normal to feel those emotions after a tragedy. And after talking with others, they seem to feel the same way. 

This is what it looks like just a mile up the road…..



To see the National Guard walking up and down the streets and them calling on megaphones is just eerie…..


So, I will look at my kids faces today and everyday and really thank God that we are all okay!


If you would like to help, know you can always contact the Red Cross to donate! 

Have a great day…..

The Aftermath and Happy Halloween…

Hello blogland!! Hope you are all well and safe today in the wake of Sandy. I don’t even know what to say about the whole situation. It is just devastating. In all my life I have never seen such a storm to hit here in NY. Living on Long Island has it’s advantages for sure, but when it comes to storms, living on an island is not ideal. We were very fortunate and blessed to come through this storm virtually unharmed. We prepared as we were told to and our house survived with just a few scratches. We did lose power Monday night but we do have a generator so we okay.

Those that were not as lucky as us, well, we can only hope and pray that their lives return to normal as quickly as possible. And although there was so much damage to property, the loss of life was minimal, thank God.

So, needless to say, the kids have been off since Monday. I am not sure when the schools will open again. But they are excited to be off today since it is Halloween. Now, I am just not sure what to do as far as Trick or Treating???  I am thinking that most people will not be in the mood to celebrate. I guess we will play it by ear. We did have 2 parties we had attended last Friday so we were able to get dressed up and at least wear our costumes then.

We decided to be the Wizard of Oz……


How cute are they??


And yes, I did make my Dorothy costume, right down to the red glitter shoes….lol!

See, now you know why I haven’t been blogging lately!

Have a safe and Happy Halloween….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

More Fall fun….







Happy Hump Day….

Fancy….

Happy Thursday ladies!! Hope you are all having a great week. 

I just have to tell you how excited I am that the trend of nail art is back. I know it is not for everyone, but I am all over this….lol!  I have always loved fancy nails. I always have a manicure because it just bothers me if my nails look bad, I feel ‘unfinished.’ 

Here is my latest nail design….


Cute, right?? The nail tech paints it all by hand and then I go in the UV light so there is no drying time at all. Just finish and go. 

Now, I am not always on top of going to the salon for a pedicure. As much as I would love to sit and get my tootsies rubbed all day, I just don’t have that much spare time. So, I found a new obsession….the Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips. Most people use them on their nails, but they have them for toes too!!  They are about $10 but I found them at Target for $5 and I had a $1 off coupon. Score! I was so excited!

This is the snake print design. There are not as many options for the toes as there are for the nails. But it last a good 2-3 weeks and there is no chipping.



Sadly, I think my toes are going to have to say goodbye to the nice weather. It is getting cooler here and I think it is almost time for Uggs! 

Have a great day….

Almost Wordless Wednesday…..

Wow…it has been a week since my last post!  I was doing good there for a while….lol!

Lunch in the back of the car……


Happy Hump Day….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

A dad and his sons………….


Happy Hump Day…

Sanity....

This post brought to you by My Well-Being Powered by Humana. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hello blogland!! How are you? I hope you are doing well. I am good, a bit frazzled. Is anyone out there feeling like me, like things these days are getting hectic in your daily life? I couldn’t wait for school to start and to get back to a ‘routine’ with my family. But, I have to say, I am tired already!! LOL!

Everyday is something. Or a few ‘somethings.’ On top of the normal everyday duties of cleaning and doing laundry and food shopping, the kids schedules are crazy. There is Tae Kwon Do, religions classes (oh, and I am teaching religion…lol, but that is another post), PTA meetings, class parents meetings. It just doesn’t end.

I found some help. It is a great site that will help my well-being. Because life is about so much more than simply ‘being well’. While your health—physical and mental—is a big part of your well-being, it’s only one piece of a much bigger picture. There are so many factors that effect our overall well-being. Think about the sense of contentment you get from feeling close and connected to family, friends, and your broader community. That’s well-being. And remember how good it feels to be financially confident? When things are going well at work and you’re on top of your savings—that’s well-being, too. And let’s not forget the lift you get from the time you spend at play, traveling the world, or exploring new—and old—interests. Well-being, again.

I think we all could use a little help along the way as we try to work on truly being happy. And I know that when my life is organized and things run smoothly, I feel well. But what well-being means to you really is as individual and complex as you are. And that’s why the site My Well-Being is awesome. It’s the place that knows that well-being is about every aspect of your life—your health and your loved ones, your finances and your leisure time and it’s the place that can help you find it with so many topics.

I love that you can personalize the content for you. You can read expert articles, watch videos, get daily tips—and create the website you want. Plus you can save your favorite content in one place, and share it easily with others. There are even small assessments for you to evaluate your well-being. This site will help you get the tools you need to improve you and your health and wellness.

I found some articles that were really helpful with organizing my family schedule. There was also content on trying to fit in an hour a day to focus on me. Yes, we all need to focus on ourselves and spend time making us happy. That is what makes us a good wife and mother. Oh, and the best part is that when you sign up they have a few different FREE Dummies book. I will be checking the mail for mine soon!

About MyWell-Being from mywell-being on Vimeo.

So, head on over there and sign up. You will be so glad that you did!!

Have a great day.....

 

Fall Festivals…..

Happy Monday!!  Hope everyone had a great weekend. I have to say, I am so excited that Fall is here. I just love this time of year. I guess living in the Northeast has its advantages. We truly do get all 4 seasons living here in NY.

So, can you guess what we did yesterday??
 

Yes, we did our annual apple picking!! I know you are probably not supposed to eat the apples right off of the tree, but they were so excited! How could I say no?? LOL!

Living 45 minutes away from the Hamptons is awesome. There are so many farms out there. We went here….


Hanks Pumpkintown has so much for the kids to do. We went last year and they loved it. There is apple picking, pumpkin picking, hay rides, pony rides, corn mazes, games and play structures as well as some delicious roasted corn! It really makes for a nice day.

Both boys went on the pony rides. I was kind of surprised as they really had never done it before.




Of course we had to do the corn maze. It felt like we were just going in circles!! LOL!


Even though there were some really great pumpkins, we did not get any. I feel like it is still to early. Plus, it gives us an excuse to go to anther Fall Festival in a few weeks!



Now I need to go on Pinterest and find out what to make with the 10 pounds of apples that I have :-)

Have a great day!

Holidays already....

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

Really?? Christmas decorations are out. I was shopping the other day and down one aisle I came across Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. I swear, every year it is getting earlier and earlier that retailers are getting a jump start on the holidays.

Seeing those Christmas decorations got me thinking. Is it too early to start shopping? I know. I said it. But now that Anthony is going to school longer, I will have some more time on my hands. It would be great to be able to shop without the distraction of kids!

On a trip to Kmart last week I was eyeing up some holiday gifts. My kids have been asking for this for so long…..

 

And I think this will be on MY list this year…..

 

Sadly, things are so expensive and everyone is on a budget these days. I just happened to see a sign in the store for free layaway. Yes….that is the key! I can pick up all of the items on my shopping list and pay for them over time. From 9/9 through 11/17 they are waiving the $5 Service fee for an 8 week contract (or the $10 fee for the 12 week contract if you make a purchase over $300). And I actually like that you have to make bi-weekly payments. It helps you to budget over time.

 

I am noticing that a lot of other retailers are offering layaway for the Holidays too. But places like Walmart have service fees and require a minimum amount for the total transaction as well as a minimum amount per item. No thanks, I will take the free option that Kmart is offering…lol!

 

Now, here is he exciting news. I learned that Kmart's is prepping for the season of giving and to coincide with this time they are launching the Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway. Meaning there is one layaway giveaway per store per week every week from 9/9/12 through 11/17/12.

So, now's the time to place those gifts you've been eying on layaway and also get the chance to win some great prizes at Kmart!

(NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 11/17/12. For Official Rules, visit a participating Kmart location or www.kmart.com/layawaygiveaway.)

Happy Shopping!

Fall is in the air....

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ah, the weather was so beautiful this week. There was a crisp feeling in the air and it has me ready for Fall. Well, that, in conjunction with all of the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations that I see in every store that I walk into!

This time of year is when I want to spruce up the landscaping in the front of my house. All of my summer flowers are pretty much dead and it is time to take them out and plant some new ones. As I was ‘pinning’ on Pinterest, I saw a few beautiful photos of mums and I knew that was what I wanted to plant. I think that people don’t typically see Fall as the prettiest time for their gardens. But I tend to disagree. Fall gardens are stunning! There are so many great colors of flowers to choose from.

I headed over to Fall plant and feed to check out what I would need to do this project myself. The site has so much information that can really help you to do any landscaping project. I knew that I wanted to plant the mums in the ground as well as in some decorative pots.

The process was an easy one. I pulled out my shovel and my watering can and bought my new flowers. The key element was to use Miracle Gro products.

I started with the in-ground planting first.

I used this…..

Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Flowers & Vegetables

After digging out my hole, I filled it with the garden soil and planted my mums. This product is specially formulated for annuals, perennials, and vegetables. It improves existing soil to build strong roots and it feeds up to 3 months with Miracle-Gro® Continuous Release Plant Food. All I need to do is water them and they will continue to look this beautiful.

What do you think?

 

 

Next, it was time to move to some decorative pots. I used the Miracle Gro Potting Mix.

The Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix is ideal for all kinds of container or potted plants. It feeds plants for up to 6 months with Miracle-Gro Continuous Release Plant Food. The rich, organic materials help improve drainage and air flow. It makes having beautiful flowers so easy!

Here is one of the decorative pots in my front yard…

 

I am so happy with how it all turned out. My front yard looks great. Using these Miracle-Gro products will help your plants growth throughout the fall. It is all you need to make your Fall gardening a success!

Now all I have to do is put up my Halloween decorations!

To help you Find beauty in the Fall, head on over and 'like' the Miracle-Gro Facebook page. You can talk with fellow gardeners and share stories and ideas.

 

Happy planting!

Revlon Expression Experiment.....

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Revlon. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hello Ladies!! I am so excited to share something fun and girly with you today. We are going to talk about make-up. Revlon make-up to be exact.

Since its inception 80 years ago, Revlon has focused on inspiring and encouraging women to express their fabulous selves. I have always loved the brand and what they have stood for. Watching the beautiful Halle Berry on their commercials always gets me inspired, how could it not? LOL!
I ask you….when was the last time that you felt like you were stepping away from your comfort zone?

Today I am doing just that, stepping out of my comfort zone and joining the movement of self expression with the Revlon Expression Experiment.

I was sent two products to review, one was the Photoready Perfecting makeup primer and the other was the Colorstay Inspired eye shadow quad. Some other lucky ladies were sent Revlon lipstick and nail polish to review. Hopefully next time I will be lucky enough get those items too!

 
In all honesty, I have never used a primer before applying my make-up and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. And the colors in the eyeshadow were typically not colors I would choose. I tend to be more of a pink, purple and brown type of girl!

But using this kit was so much fun to try. I loved the quality of the eye shadow and how well it stayed on my eyes during the entire day. Their makeup primer was not as great for me. I felt like it did not go on smooth and even made my skin look pale. But I was glad I tried something new!

Applying the primer underneath my make-up….

Eye shadow…..

Finished look…..

                                                      (Yes, I definitely look much better with make-up…lol! )

You see, we all express ourselves in so many different ways. With the clothes that we wear, the color of our hair and the choices in our make-up, we can choose to be someone different everyday! Now that is fun! You may also notice I have chopped off my hair and even added some red highlights! See, self expression.

I want to invite you to join the movement of self expression with the Revlon Expression Experiment and visit them on Facebook. This is all about empowering women of all kinds, celebrating individuality and expressing who you are.



Be sure to tell me your thoughts on the experiment and leave links to share with us the ways you express yourself!

Have a great day…..
 


 

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

Morning kisses……


Happy Hump Day….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

PEACE in the morning before the day starts and the storm begins!!


Happy Hump Day…..

A Monday Check-in……

Wow…this is it. The last week of the summer for those of us in the Northeast. It is a bittersweet time. As much as I love summer and the warm weather,  I think I am ready for it to come to an end.  I need to get back to a ‘routine’ with the kids. It has been a free-for-all lately and I need some structure back.

We have been so beyond busy that I cannot even begin to recall all that we have done this summer.  Our annual upstate NY Lake George vacation just ended and so I have a ton of pictures to upload and share. It is always a great time and this year we went with 2 other families which made it even better.
But the most fun and exciting news is that there have been a lot of babies being born around us!! Yeah…we all love babies, right?? Three of my girlfriends just gave birth within the last 2 months and they all had girls. I guess it is going to be a girl baby boom this year….lol. So, amongst all of the craziness, I have been trying to sew a few presents.

Here is what I managed to get done so far.

Cute little bib and burp cloth set….


Burp cloth wih John Deere fabric. This little girl’s dad is a big hunter/outdoorsman 
so I thought this would be fitting…lol!


Onesie and skirt (thanks to Pinterest for this idea!)…



Nursing cover with velcro neck strap….



Another onesie and shorts outfit…..

And here is one little girl wearing her new outfit…I think she looks adorable!!


Enjoy your day today…..