Coffee Break Mom

Blogging and WAHM Reality Check

2011-09-15T05:35:00.004-05:00

I came across this post this morning while having my morning coffee and wanted to share as I know I sure needed a dose of what she is giving. I think some of you would enjoy it as well.

Take a look at what 5MINUTESFORMOM had to say CLICK HERE.

Absolutely right on!

Brandied Apple Upside Down Cake

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ok so I found this cake in an issue of Family Circle for Oct. 2011 and went for a search online and found the one below on Celebration Generation. Go check out the picture she has with it! I can not WAIT to give this a try! I can already smell the warm apples wafting through the air.

What You Need:

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1 1/2 tsp Flour
1/2 cup Brown sugar

3 Tbsp Apple Brandy
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2-3 Large apples, sliced
2 cup Cake flour
1 1/2 cups Sugar
4 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 Instant vanilla pudding mix (3 ½ oz)
4 Large eggs
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Apple Brandy
3/4 cup Butter, melted

How To Do It:

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°F). Liberally grease a 10″ round pan with vegetable shortening. Cut out a 10″ round of parchment paper, using bottom of pan as a template. Place inside pan, smoothing it out to cling securely to the shortening.

Combine melted butter, flour, brown sugar, apple brandy, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat on low, stirring until well combined. Pour into prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Arrange fruit slices on top of this mixture,set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs and water, beating until smooth. Carefully add apple brandy and melted butter to the mix, mixing on medium speed until smooth. Gently pour into prepared pan. Bake until golden and knife inserted into center of batter comes out clean and cake springs back – about 50-60 minutes.

With the hot cake still in the pan, carefully level the top by cutting off the “dome” over the edge of the pan Allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes before turning cake out directly onto serving plate.

Fall Is In The Air

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. You can smell it in the air, the smell of the autumn leaves. Comfortable temperatures, football on Saturdays and leaves falling. I can't wait for the trees to start turning shades of yellow, orange and red. Fall is the most beautiful time of year.

County fairs with cotton candy and funnel cakes, YUM! I am so excited! Do you have any favorites for fall? Leave a comment, recipes, favorite locations during the fall months anything. I would love to hear stories from everyone! : )

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T02:39:00.003-05:00

Atlanta Braves Game on Monday Night!! Their first time attending. They had a great time.

If you follow me, leave a comment so I can follow you back : ).

Tidy Up Tuesday

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday seems as good a day as any to tidy up the house and get laundry done. Now that the little ones ( or not so little anymore in my case) are back in school, I can do cleaning most days of the week. On the list today just happens to be laundry.

I have come a long way with keeping up with the laundry. I no longer have a Mt. Washmore in my laundry room. Though I still have plenty to keep me quite busy.

Just a tip, if you do a load of laundry a day from start to finish it will help you keep up. When you get up start a load of laundry and by lunch time you should have it dried and put away.

Now I know some of you are saying "but I have other things to do during the day, appointments etc.". I understand that, and that's OK. This post is mostly for the work at home mom such as myself or stay at home moms.

I have worked outside the home and I know its hard to do a load of laundry a day. One step at a time, that's what it will take. Find what works best for you.

Have you started your load of laundry today? : )

Menu Plan Monday

2011-09-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

Monday: Attending Atlanta Braves game tonight, no cooking for me : )

Tuesday: Creamy Herbed Pork Chops - I came across this while planning, it sounds great and I have never tried it before. : )

Wednesday: Hawaiian Haystacks It also sounds great. I am having a creative week.

Thursday: Stouffers Lasagna - Always a favorite!!

Friday: Vegetable Soup - I need a little taste of Fall with all of this wonderful weather we have had.

What's on your menu for the week? Post a link in the comments. I would love to meet new people and find new menu's and recipes. : )

Hawaiian Haystacks

2011-09-05T06:58:00.000-05:00

Something new I found and I just have to give it a try.

4 cups rice, cooked

1 cup skim milk

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I prefer to boil it in water with complimentary seasonings until tender)

2 cans cream of chicken soup, lowfat

1 green pepper, diced

1 bunch of green onions, diced

2 cups green peas, cooked

1 can crushed pineapple

Lemon Pepper

French’s Fried Onion Toppings

Other topping ideas: diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, raisins and chow mein noodles.

Boil and shred chicken. Cook rice. In a small saucepan, heat milk and soup. Once it has thickened, add the shredded chicken. Add lemon pepper to taste. Let each person create his or her own haystack. Layer rice, chicken sauce and a variety of vegetables and fruit. Sprinkle with French’s Fried Onion Toppings or with chow mein noodles.

"Out Of The Rain" by Debbie Macomber

2011-08-10T23:52:00.002-05:00

I have recently been reading "Out of The Rain" and absolutely love Debbie Macomber's style of writing. This book gives two completely different takes on marriages and I have found it very interesting to read. It has definitely kept my attention so much so I recommend anyone who is romantic at heart, loves to read, and especially loves to 'escape' in a book to pick this one up.

The pic above takes you to Amazon (no I am not an affiliate, just a book lover) where you can purchase it or you may even find it at Wal-Mart like I did. Either way, if you decide to pick it up and read it or if you already have read it, leave me a comment and tell me YOUR opinion on it.

Happy Reading!!

Give It To Me Monday Blog Hop!!

2011-06-06T11:21:00.003-05:00

I came across this blog hop as part of a group email I receive updates on. I thought this was a GREAT idea so I am sharing and hoping to meet some more great people along the way. : )

Happy Monday to all!!!

Click The Pic above or Click The Link>> Give It To Me Monday

New Outlook

2011-04-28T08:24:00.000-05:00

I finally got everything unpacked after the move recently. I am still in decorating mode as i have so much more room here to work with!

I have been so busy with kids, work, softball, tornadoes (yes I said tornadoes). Thing have just been crazy around here. Hopefully it is all settled down into a groove and my posts will become more regular. That's the goal at least. I already revamped the bloggy blog here now I just have to get back to regularly scheduled updates : ).

Stay Tuned!!

Heather : )

I Moved!!

2011-02-09T23:36:00.003-06:00

OK so since my last post I finally made the big move to a new house!! I am so excited and happy I can hardly stand myself. OK well I can stand myself.. and I can stand my kids much more now too!! Ha!!!

Let me tell ya, even moving a short distance is still such a task. I still have boxes everywhere and its been 10 days already. I just had to post because I finally got my office set back up and everything going again.

So with that said maybe my posts will be more frequent and with more substance soon!!

: )

Time Really Does Fly When You Are Busy

2011-01-12T12:10:00.003-06:00

Wow. It has been a whirl wind around here the past 6 weeks. I lost my Uncle on January 3rd. He was in a one vehicle car wreck and did not make it. My Aunt has been a mess since. Then I wake up this past Saturday with strep throat, not good at all. I have work that must be done though so I continue trudging onward.

So my plan for January, well, I guess I don't really have a plan at this point. But that could change by the end of the day. On a brighter note, my business is doing well. I am working on accounts and they are doing very well. I have a few other things in the mix as well.

So, with all that said, my little "Dear Me" moment, hopefully I will be back to blogging in the near future with Menu Plan Mondays and so on. Until then please hold my family in your prayers. Thanks!! Oh and Happy New Year!! : )

It's December, and Things Have Changed

2010-12-14T08:34:00.004-06:00

Wow, it's been quite an interesting few months. The last time I posted I was all hyped up on sugar I think from all the baking and sweets I was involved with.

My sugar rush has long since gone and I moved on to other things. I started my own business, Heather Sides Business Development Consultant, doing what I know and love. There have been family issues and ups and downs. All in all it's been one heck of a ride to say the least.

So as I sit here this morning, it is a cold 16 degrees outside, (yes in Alabama). I am reflecting on my decisions over the past few months and the way things have taken a complete 360 degree turn from where I thought I was going. Funny isn't it, when God takes control things completely change on a dime. But I am liking it!!

As we get closer to the New Year I have started thinking about what my plans are for next year, goals etc. Then I remember, it does me no good to plan, as well all know plans can and will change according to what God wants us to do with our lives, whether or not we realize it.

With that said, I am very excited about the New Year and I have faith it will bring great connections and opportunities for me in business this coming year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!!!

Cake Pop Day!!

2010-10-07T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have been working on my pretzels and getting them all bagged and ready to go, now it's time to work on the Cake Pops.

It's getting closer. I may post again this afternoon if I get things done and wrapped up. With pics hopefully.

Heather

We Are Getting There!

2010-10-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Progress, progress!! After a long day of working hard, I am now ready to work even harder. Look out kitchen, here I come!!!

Maybe I will have pics to post tomorrow, now where's that camera hiding???

Heather

2010-10-05T10:00:00.001-05:00

I am busy busy around here getting things made for Saturday. I am just beaming!!

I have chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.... it's sooooo yummy!!!

You know.. this would be a great idea for a blog giveaway. Mrs. Amy, I think I feel that giveaway coming on that we talked about, very soon!! :)

Stay Tuned for more updates to come on my venture.

Heather

Planning Stages Update

2010-10-04T09:56:00.001-05:00

My event is Saturday and I have been planning for it. I have decided I am going to do Cake Pops, Chocolate Covered Pretzels in diff colors (long straight ones and the normal twisty ones) in bags tied with ribbon or raffia. I will also do a few caramel and Chocolate Apples I think to see how they go over.

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. I just hope everything comes together and it turns out great.

Now on to get labels decided upon so people will know where to find these tasty treats afterwards!!

Sunday's Thoughts

2010-10-03T14:00:00.001-05:00

Ok I did not plan out a menu for this week as I will be very busy, I know a plan would help but I just have not had the time to sit down and plan it out.

I have been too busy planning an event for the coming weekend!! I will be setting up a booth locally Saturday morning and will be selling some of my chocolate creations that I have been thinking about for weeks. I would like to see where I can go with it, since it seems to be haunting my dreams.

I have been seeing, smelling and dreaming chocolate for over a week... this has to be a calling. So I will take the plunge and just do it!! Hopefully it will be great!! I would love to do this full time for sure!!

I will keep you posted : )

Heather

College Football Saturday!!!

2010-10-02T05:00:00.001-05:00

Gotta love those football Saturday's!! Living in Alabama College Football Season is huge here and this week we play Florida!!

Since we can't go to the game we will be watching at home instead, which can also be fun, and we can see better on TV anyway right? HA! So what to eat on Saturday?? See below for yummy ideas:

Yummy Fruit Tray!!

Don't Forget The Spinach Dip!!

What's a Football Game without, Wings!!!

And of course the Classic game day food... Hamburgers!!!

Happy Gameday Football Fans!!! ROLLLLL TIDEEEEE!!!!!!!

Friday, Oh How I missed You

2010-10-01T10:38:00.004-05:00

Yay it's Friday, do the happy dance.. : )

Ok so it's the end of yet another week, but the start of the holiday season. We have so many coming up in the next few months, how will we ever survive? I will tell you how, with ORGANIZATION and PLANNING. Ok maybe I am not the best one to suggest that but Flylady sure is great at it!! Go check her out if you haven't before.

Flylady/Marla is wonderful at keeping us motivated for cleaning and expecting guests for parties. She even has a special Holiday Control Journal to help us make it through. Check her out!! I know I am sure gonna need her help from now until the end of January.

Caramel Apple Time!!

2010-09-30T08:32:00.000-05:00

I am just full of ideas lately. Next on the list, Caramel Apples. I can't wait to try some of these ideas!!

Now how cute are those?? Well how about the ones below? They could be made to fit any occasion!!

I am so excited!! Can't wait to try them all out. Happy Baking Bloggers!!!

Heather

It's Getting Closer To Halloween

2010-09-29T07:32:00.000-05:00

I love love love this time of year!! Did I mention I love this time of year?? : )

I plan on doing some decorating for Halloween this year, I do every year but I like to do something different every year. It's time for the trips to the pumpkin patch with the kiddos. So much fun!!

I can't wait to do the pumpkin carving on the front deck, and light up the night with cutesy faces!!

It's going to be a creativity filled month for sure, I plan on making a new wreath and maybe some table centerpieces here are a few ideas for that as well:

Pumpkins and wreaths and witches oh my!!

Ten For Tuesday

2010-09-28T00:28:00.004-05:00

It's time for 10 for Tuesday. The theme, 10 movies you have seen recently. Here are my 10:

1. Julie & Julia

2. Avatar

3. Burning Bright

4. Case 39

5. Date Night

6. Letters to Juliet

7. The Other Guys

8. Eclipse

9. Killers

10. The Last Song

Those are in no particular order.

Now it's your turn, do your own post of the last 10 movies you watched, then link it in a comment below so I can come see and comment and maybe add to my "to see" list. : )

Heather

Menu Plan Monday

2010-09-27T01:19:00.003-05:00

It's Monday again!! Time for a new meal plan. Here is what I have decided upon for the week ahead. Always subject to change of course, depending on moods, and life happening around us.

MONDAY: Rotisserie Chicken & Rice with another veggie

TUESDAY: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and one other veggie

WEDNESDAY: Seasoned Pork Ribs with Mac & Cheese and another veggie

THURSDAY: Sloppy Joes with Fries or Chips

FRIDAY: Kid's Choice (AKA Leftovers or what ever needs to be cooked at the end of the week)

If anyone else has anything good planned please do share, I am always looking for ideas.

Heather

Picking Up Where I Left Off...

2010-09-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

I know I am a few days behind (OK more than a few) and I apologize for that , but hey, life happens right? Lots of life has been happening around here the past 2 weeks. Now that things are back to semi-normal I will just pick up where I left off.

Fall has finally arrived, not in full force as far as weather is concerned but hey it's almost October so that has to count for something.

I have quite a few things planned for the next week, all of which I plan to blog about. One thing for sure will be CakePops as I have not made any in a while and it's the cooking season again right?

These are the ones I have chosen to make this go around:

They look yummy and cute don't they? You can go HERE to get full instructions if you would like to make them yourself. And if you would like a whole cookbook full of Bakerella's creations then go check out her Cake Pop Cookbook. Here is a peek at the cover:

I will have pictures of my own to post after I get them all made up, I can't wait!! I love baking and Halloween!! Can you believe it? Christmas is just around the corner too!!

Stay Tuned for Menu Plan Monday.

Heather

Remembering

2010-09-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

It's been quite a few days here. My stepdaughters are going through dealing with the loss of a friend (Austin Krosp) who died tragically in a car wreck yesterday. It really takes me back to my own Junior year of high school when my peers and I also lost a friend whom we have been remembering as of late, rest in peace Matt Foreman you are forever missed.

My heart really goes out to them in so many ways. This is not the first friend they have lost which is even more tragic. They had a friend drown in a lake a few months back. And another friend who also died in a car wreck.

Though the loss of my friend was unexpected (not a car wreck) it was in a different manner than they are having to cope with as the loss they are dealing with could have been prevented if only he had worn a seatbelt. It is so important that we continue to pound this into our children about driving safety.

Please keep my girls in your prayers and the families of the victims of this tragic accident.

Love This Time Of Year!!

2010-09-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

Fall is here and it's that time of the year when our ovens get heated for baking and the season for cooking, sweets and great dinners has arrived. I have lots of ideas for this season and I am sure everyone out there who loves to cook does as well. I will be sharing a few of my ideas over the next few months and can't wait to see ideas from fellow bloggers! Here are a few sites I love to follow during this time of year especially for cooking ideas:

Bakerella She has the most amazing sweets and has all step by step instructions for us to follow to make them ourselves!!

You Made That? This blog has tons of great ideas for sweets and more!

Kraft Recipes Most all of us are familiar with this website but for those of you who aren't take a look, you won't be dissappointed!! TONS of dinner ideas and sweets and more recipes than you can count!!

Coca-Cola Yes that's right, I said Coca-Cola!! They have great recipes there for the creative kind go check them out!!

CakeSpy Ok this is the cutest lil cupcake website EVER!! Tons of cupcakes and pies and other things with instructions!! LOVE THIS!! So creative.

Gooseberry Patch Ok you won't find a lot of recipes here, but you will find a few Click!, but what you will find are tons of GREAT cookbooks. I have a few of these myself and they are awesome!! Right now if you become a fan on their Facebook Page you get a 50% discount on their Fall Cookbook!! Or you can just go HERE and order it at half price as well since some facebookers are having problems with the code.

OK there are a few to get you started, I will post more as the month goes on. Happy Cooking everyone!!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-09-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

Another Monday has begun, what are your dinner plans for the week? Here is a peek at mine and maybe you will get a few ideas of your own. As with any menu plan it is always subject to change : ).

MONDAY: Chicken and Rice bake with Veggies

TUESDAY: Tacos!! Yay!!

WEDNESDAY: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

THURSDAY: Baked Chicken with Rice and a beggie (undecided what veggie yet)

FRIDAY: Pizza Night this week!!!

Now tell me what you are having this week!! As I said my menu may change especially if you all post somethin good!!!

Happy Monday!!

30 Days Of Blogging

2010-09-13T01:13:00.000-05:00

As I sit here and enjoy my cup of coffee as expected of me, I have decided to do a new 30 Days of Blogging. So what's in store for the next 30 days? Well, that will be one of those blog as we go type things. Now with that said, I do have somewhat of a plan. I will try and do Menu Plan Monday's and Tuesday's Tidbits. With a few posts about finding work from home/online. As well as recipes scattered about.

Also, Survivor's 21st Season is about to start this week so there may be a post or two about that. And with Big Brother 12 wrapping up this week as well, I will probably post about the finale and winner of the show.

Needless to say they will be mostly random posting from a mommy : ). Stay Tuned!!

Busy Busy Busy

2010-06-07T00:44:00.001-05:00

Before you say it I already know and will say it for you all, I have negelected my blog. Yes, I know. I have been so busy since January I think I may have forgotten to breathe a few times.

My daughter played softball this year. I had one child graduate Kindergarten and my middle child (the softball player ) graduate 5th grade. Whew.... like I said Busy Busy Busy.

Now that things have calmed down around here a bit maybe I can have a moment from time to time to make a few posts. Maybe some new recipes I have yet to share, maybe a few rants and raves, and maybe even some helpful tips on something. That's the plan at least.

Ok to start off I will tell you a little about the last couple of weeks just to give you a taste of my life as of late. As I am writing this it is almost 1 a.m. and I have only been home for 4 hours.

We went to Tennessee this weekend to visit friends and to take my step daughters back to their home in Tupelo, MS. 3 states all in one day with 4 of the 5 kids plus our little dog Sadie was quite the adventure I have to say : ).

Softball ended in mid-May finally so that has helped a little with the two weeks the girls were with us. We were able to go swimming and do other things since there was no softball practice to attend.

Ok so the last couple of weeks may not seem busy to you all but try being me and having 5 kids at home while working two jobs and Dad working too. Whew!!

I think that is all I have for now but at least it's something. I shall return again, sooner this time, with more information of the entertaining and even helpful sort, but for now I seriously need some sleep : ).

The World of Seeing...

2010-02-09T10:50:00.000-06:00

I have now joined the world of the seeing. I had my eyes checked yesterday and tried on glasses to be ordered. I went in to tell them which frames I wanted and was fitted for contacts.. I have a sample pair in and I can finally SEE!! It's amazing how bright everything gets when you can see properly. I never realized how bad my eyes were.

If you are having problems seeing I suggest you get a check up at your eye Dr.'s office because it's amazing what you are missing when you have blurred vision like I did.

Mine was caused from staring at this screen for many years. Sad but true. The computer screen is bad for the eyes.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

I have skipped a few weeks of menu's but here is the Menu I have for this coming week Jan. 25th- Jan 29th:

Monday: Taco Bake

Tuesday: Fried Chicken

Wednesday: Hamburger Helper (yes I know this is cheating)

Thursday: BarBQue Ribs

Friday: Kid's Choice : )

So that is the plan for now. I will be in the office on Monday and Thursday so the plan may change but the meals will stand just may be on a different day. But as of right now that is the idea.

What are your menu's for the week? Leave a comment, I can always use ideas. :)

Cake Bites

2010-01-25T01:30:00.000-06:00

I was telling the girl at my new job about the cake pops/bites and she had never heard of them. I decided to make some to take with me tomorrow : ). Maybe I can get this to go somewhere...... here are some pics of the ones I did this time.

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-01-19T03:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy few days around here so I wanted to give a few tidbits for Tuesday's post.

Truck Update: I got it back- it is fixed and seems to be perfect again... though I have some sources I am researching for getting my money back for the repair as I, along with hundreds of others, believe that this should have been a recall by Ford. Nevertheless, I have the truck back and it's fine.

The Bachelor: OK so I watch this show.... I have no idea why really as I am almost positive that it's all staged in some way or another, but I watch and here are my two cents if anyone cares : ).

Jake is a great guy, but he has serious issues with seeing the light. Tonight's episode was crazy to say the least. Drama fest anyone? After last weeks episode I read Reality Steve's blog and he stated that on tonight's episode after the Sea World date that girl would not receive a rose.... well she did... so now instead of just reading his blog I guess I have to watch for myself...in fast-forward of course as I DVR'ed it so I could skip the drama parts. In my opinion, not that I honestly care one way or another, the only sane girls there are Tenley and the girl from tonights Sea World date.

If he does in fact do as Reality Steve predicts and chooses Vienna he is definitely hiding it well. Vienna just seems to be so out of the loop and all about herself, which makes sense given she wants to win the guy of course.

OK off my soap box now. Sorry for the rambling about The Bachelor but I just finished watching it so I had to get that out of my head.

I have more posts coming: recipes, kid stuff, my crazy cat (you will see why I say she is crazy soon) and other random musings. Stay Tuned and share with your friends : )

Oh one more Tuesday Tidbit, I have FINALLY gotten a hold on my laundry thanks to FlyLady's babysteps and hope it stays this way!! My house has not been a huge mess but with 3 kids it can get a little upside down at times and FlyLady's tips and email's and support group seem to make it a lot smoother that is for sure!!

What are your thoughts on the laundry process and making it go smoother? Do you have your kids help with their own laundry? Leave me a comment and tell me what you think, I would love to see if I am on the right track!

Potato Soup Recipe

2010-01-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

My Aunt was at my house recently and she was raving about a Potato Soup recipe that she had made. Now, I have never had Potato Soup, much less made my own but she was raving about it to the point that I had her give me the recipe so I could try it for myself.

It sort of made me think of a Loaded Baked Potato but in a soup instead. Sound great right? I can not even tell you just how great it was!! I will definitely be making this one more often. Hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:

5 lbs- Potatoes

1 cup- French Onion Dip (in section by the milk at the store- or you can use the kind in the chip isle- either one is fine)

2 cans- Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup- Milk

Bacon Bits and Cheese for toppings

Directions:

Peel and boil potatoes as if cooking potato salad or mashed potatoes.

When potatoes are done (cooked to done but not mushy or overcooked) drain *most* of the water off the potatoes leaving about 2 cups of water in the pot.

Add cream of chicken soups, milk, onion dip and salt and/or pepper to your liking.

Let this simmer for about 30 minutes. If it does not seem to be 'soupy' enough for you then add more milk just be careful not to add too much, and remember to stir often.

Once this is done you can serve in bowls and top with bacon bits and cheese.

Let me know below with a comment if you try the recipe or if you have other ideas for additions to it, I love trying new things!

Couple Of Updates

2010-01-12T11:00:00.000-06:00

So my truck is now being repaired. Should have it back by Friday. I did not know about this flaw prior to my own problem with this truck.

Come to find out there is one flaw with the Ford Expedition that noone told me about and that is with something called a GEM Module and it failing due to a water LEAK!!!!! Why Ford has not done a recall on this is beyond me. I have done much research on electrical problems with Ford Expedition and I could name them here but won't.... just go research it if you have an Expedition.... it's interesting.

With that said.. there should be no further problems after this repair is done. At least I hope not.

Tomorrow I will update with some new recipes and hopefully some photos of random things over the last few weeks. I just had to share the whole truck thing though I know it is really irrelevant I just want you to know that whatever you are going through is tough and we understand but the person you are looking at / reading about/ passing in the store probably has an issue they are dealing with that is just as stressful in their own eyes. So keep your chin up and your head high because it WILL get better. It has to right?

: ) Heather

2010 Has Started With A Bang

2010-01-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

That is one thing I know for sure!

It has been a long week for me and to make it short and sweet I believe that my truck became possesed by the Devil during the BCS National Championship Game on Thursday last week.

So I go out during half time to make a quick run to the store and my truck has taken it upon itself to turn on all of the interior lights with no key in the ignition. Yea... I was in shock myself!

Battery was completely dead yet lights on all over the place. It is going to be put in vehicle hospital to be repaired.... they should make 'health' insurance for vehicles so that when we have to get them repaired we can just pay a copay. That would be great! Instead it will cost me upwards of 800 bucks. But hey it has to be done right?

So on a lighter note work is going well and I am finally seeing what it is that I should be doing with my blog. hence the new name and change of everything. 2010 is going to be great I just know it even after this bad week it WILL get better!!

The New Look and Name

2010-01-09T12:52:00.000-06:00

Let me explain: I have had a really long year and it seems that 2010 has started off with a bang as well. I decided that I wanted a whole new look and feel for my blog and this design is what I chose to use. I like that it's so nice a neat.

The new name: When i started blogging a while back I really did not know what I wanted to name my blog therefore I just used Heather's Happenings to get started. I am a mommy who drinks so much coffee that I started thinking a few months back that my blog name should have been Coffee Break Mom seeing how I take so many coffee breaks through out my day. So now it has been born. I like the new look and sound of it all and I imported everything from Heather's Happenings to this blog instead. I hope to move further in depth with my blogging and meet new people and do many more exciting things this year with my blog.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-04T10:49:00.000-06:00

Ok so the last few weeks I have been crazy busy with 5 kids around the fun never stops!! We have been driving all over the state and into bordering states and shuffling kids from here to there and then Christmas Day and all that jazz. Whew I am one tired Mommy that's for sure!

Last year was not the greatest but I know it was still great as there are many others that are in more dire situations than myself. But I do hope that 2010 will be fantastic!!! Below are a few things on my agenda and now that things are semi back to normal maybe I can keep this blog updated as I had originally planned to do.

Back a few months ago I started trying to lose some weight and was unsuccessful thus far. Now with that said I have not lost a pound yet people see me and say oh you look like you have lost weight... how is that possible??? Did the weight maybe shift around or something because I am just not seeing it at all.

Kids are all back home and everything is back to 'normal' with the arguing fussing they do. Coffee is a big one on my agenda for today. I am gonna need it to stay sane and awake.

I also recieved a great product from my Aunt last week. It was a present that was given to her and she said that she could not stick with something like that so she asked if I wanted it. It's the Herbalife diet products. There are lots of pills and some shake mix. I have never heard of it so I am doing my research but I think this just might jumpstart my losing weight afterall. I am sure hoping that is the case. I seriously want to be able to wear the clothes that are just hanging in my closet being neglected.

So that's all for this moment but look for lots of posts to come!! : )

Thanksgiving Update and Moving into Christmas

2009-11-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

For Thanksgiving we had dinner at my grandmother's home. It was great having all the family there. There were a few missing members but that is all thanks to my sister. I did not dwell on it though I made the best of the situation and held my tongue like a good girl.

We had turey and ham and dressing and al the fixings that go along with it.

My kids played with cousins (minus 2 of them) and had a great time. I already have my tree up and we are getting into the groove of things around here.

Stay tuned for more updates and maybe some more recipes :)

Cake Pop Update #2

2009-11-25T01:01:00.000-06:00

Sunday, I did Alabama themed Cup Cake Pops. I did the bottoms in white and the tops in red. They looked a little plain and the white chocolate did not hug the sides like the dark chocolate in the Christmas ones I made before. I am thinking that if I do these again I will use some cute Alabama ribbon to make them 'pop' a little more but they turned out cute in the end.

Here are pics.. I even took pics of the process : )

Above you can see I was getting ready.. I made the balls, molded with the cookie cutter shape on bottom and was ready to dip.

All dipped and sticks are in, back to the freezer for a few minutes....this is what I meant by the white melts not holding like i wished they had... well they held, they just did not give the cupcake bottom effect.

All dipped in red now, cute, but still plain. At least this was good information to know for next time. Just strange to me how different they looked than the ones I did a few posts back, those were REALLY cute and I will be doing more of those tomorrow.

Here are a few more pics after I started getting them all done and wrapped up:

More to come after the holidays. I will post my Muffin recipe in the morning and pics of my muffins. Yes, I am attempting homemade muffins... lord help me... : )

Broccoli, Chicken, Rice & Cheese Casserole

2009-11-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

That's what we had for dinner last night. Before I could get a picture of it it was gone. Must have been good : ). I thought I would share the recipe with you all so you could try it out too.

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves- cooked and cut up

2 cups cooked rice

1 can Cr. of chicken soup

1 can cr. of mushroom soup

1 packet of dry onion soup

16 oz of Velveeta cheese cubed

Broccoli Flowerets- about 2 cups.. more or less as you like

Directions:

Mix everything together in a large bowl- Cooked Rice- soups- onion soup mix- chicken- cubed cheese- broccoli and pour into 9 X 13 baking dish.

Cook at 375 F for about 20-30 minutes. Uncover for last 10 minutes of cooking.. to make the cheese nice.

I Have An Idea

2009-11-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

Now, before you panic, let me say, this idea is a good one : )!!!

After watching the movie Julie & Julia I was inspired even more. I don't know if it's all about this cooking phase I am going through or what it is but I was so motivated!!

So my idea is: I want to start blogging about all the dishes I discover and try out. Now I know I have posted some new recipes I found on here already but it did not really hit me what I could do with my blog until I watched that movie last week.

My daughter and I were out last night picking up the things I needed for the Alabama/Auburn Cupcake Pops and we decided to go into Books A Million. I looked around for The Pioneer Lady- Ree Drummond's cookbook and ended up reading for an hour before actually making my way to pick up what I needed. The book is amazing I have to say.

So what I am going to do is, print out a ton of recipes that I would like to tackle and try to do one per day. Whether it be something sweet or maybe a meal for the family. I will take pictures of the process or the finished product or maybe both if I can remember that I do have a camera again!!

I just think it would be something great to keep me busy as well as help teach my daughter to cook seeing how they will be out of school quite a bit over the next few weeks for the holidays.

So off I go to start looking and planning. This will be great because I can add all of the new findings to my Recipe folder and maybe have them all made into a book for my daughter when she is older. With pictures included of us cooking together. Now how sweet is that : )!!!

Cupcake Pop Follow-Up

2009-11-22T12:23:00.000-06:00

Ok so I know I promised pictures of my second attempt at Cake Pops since I did not have a camera for my first try, so here they are below. I think they turned out great!! I did some that were just Red and Green Cake Pops too... that little cookie cutter shaper for the cupcakes was starting to drive me insane. Take a look:

I had a great time playing with these little creations. This afternoon I will be making another variation of these little Cupcake Pops. My husband is a freak for SEC College Football, so I will be making Alabama and Auburn Cupcake Pops for him to take to work tomorrow to share. I will post pics of those too. Maybe I will take pics of the process this time if I can keep the chocolate off the camera : ).

Family Time Today

2009-11-14T23:33:00.000-06:00

Today I got to spend some time with one of my sisters. Now, with that said there is a reason for my post. My sisters ( who are also twins) and I have not been speaking lately. By not speaking I mean not communicating at all for the last 6 months or so. They pulled away from the entire family for the most part. Not together but both in their own ways. It's been a rough 6 months I will just say that.

Now one of them has come to her senses. She has no kids so I really wasn't as worried about her so much so and the other one who has two kids. I am still worried and drive myself insane abut her but I know that if I just have faith in God he will show her the way in His own time.

It was an awesome day today. Alabama football and my sister and my Dad all here at my home together. It almost felt like old times again. It was a great game and great family time I have to say. We cooked dinner for everyone and afterwards my sweet tooth reared again and I was back in the kitchen making sweets to share.

I made chocolate covered pretzels. They were so yummy! I changed the type of chocolate I was using and had picked up some Wilton's melting chips during my trip to Wal-Mart this week and it made a total difference in dipping things and the way it covered. I knew it would secretly but with my cake pops before I just could not wait that long to make them. I know the next cake pops will be amazing!!

Here are the pretzels, well, what is left anyway:

And I also tried doing chocolate covered marshmallows with some marshmallows my son had left after he raided the bag while we watched the game, haha, he is just too cute!! They turned out great as well, and also were eaten up as fast as they could harden on the wax paper.

Here they are:

So here they are together:

I am going to be making the cake pops again soon but did not want to dive into that with company here tonight. Maybe tomorrow, I still have to pick up some styrofoam to stick the sticks into.

Now a question- I don't know if any of you can see it in the pictures but when the chocolate hardened it left a white look to them like spots on the chocolate.... is that normal??? Can it be fixed? If so, how do I keep it from doing that?

: )

NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!

2009-11-09T22:48:00.000-06:00

I got a new camera FINALLY!!!! Now I can finally take pics of my baking adventures and show you all what they look like afterwards!! Yay!!!

In case you are wondering I purchased the Kodak EasyShare c182. It is a 12 mega pixel camera with 3X zoom and large display window on the back. Love this little camera. What I did not realize at first was that I needed a memory card.. no big deal though, I grabbed an 8 gig card for 20 bucks!!

Ok so I am looking forward to taking lots of great pics!!

:) :) :)

Sweets Coming Up

2009-11-05T00:05:00.000-06:00

I have a couple of sweets I plan to finish up in the next couple of days. I bought the ingredients at the store tonight. Cake Pops and Chocolate Coated Marshmallows.

Ok so the first round with my Cake Pops did not go like I wanted them to. So I am going to do them again, some Vanilla coated and some Chocolate coated. This time I have sucker sticks, maybe this will make a difference when dipping and coating.

Also, I was in Wal-mart over the weekend and as you know they put out bakery items on sale every now and then for half price. Well, they had the chocolate coated marshmallows in bags for sale and I thought well, I can do those myself!!!

So I am armed with more chocolate bark coating, marshmallows, cake ball ingredients and I even bought pretzels to dip in chocolate!!

My Husband comes in and says "I don't know what has gotten into you lately but I like it!" : ) Yay me!!

So stay tuned for more on those ventures, and anything else I may come up with between now and then.

Wednesday Dinner and Dessert

2009-11-04T23:35:00.000-06:00

I have been on a cooking kick for a few weeks now. Tonight I tried yet another new meal I have not done before and a new dessert.

Cheese Lover's Pasta Roll-Ups courtesy of Kraft Foods Food & Family Magazine

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

1 container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Original Ricotta Cheese

2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Italian* Three Cheese Blend

4 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided

16 lasagna noodles, cooked

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

MIX first 5 ingredients until well blended.

SPREAD 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Spread each noodle with 3 Tbsp. cheese mixture; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in dish. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan; cover.

BAKE 40 to 50 min. or until heated through, uncovering the last 10 min.

Tips from Me:

1. I would recommend using only 2 green onions instead of 4 as it seemed to overpower a little bit.

2. The directions called for 16 lasagna noodles yet when I got done I still had 3 noodles left and no more mix... so either go very light on the spread or make a little more spread than it calls for.

Other than those two things it tasted absolutely delicious!!

NEXT up DESSERT!!!

Peanut Butter Cup Pie also Courtesy of Kraft Foods Food & Family Magazine:

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, divided

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.)

3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Directions:

BEAT cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter in medium bowl until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP; spoon into crust. Refrigerate until ready to use.

MEANWHILE, microwave remaining COOL WHIP and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.

SPREAD chocolate mixture over pudding layer in crust. Microwave remaining peanut butter in small microwaveable bowl 30 sec.; stir. Drizzle over pie. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

This one is amazing. Just enough peanut butter. It sort of reminded me of the Peanut Butter Fudge Shake you can get at Sonic : )

Hope these are enticing to you as they were for me, I enjoyed making them and hope that some of you will as well.

Trick Or Treat

2009-11-01T12:49:00.000-06:00

Just a few quick pictures from Trick Or Treating...

Husband - Lacey and Sara my step daughters and in front-- Whitney and Dylan.

Dr. Whitney...

Bumblebee from Transformers.... : )

They had a great time!!

Free Samples on Products That We All Use

2009-10-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hi All, You can click the picture below to sign up for free samples of products that we all use. Coupons via email and via regular mail. I know every little bit helps these days.

I just got finished registering and hope to start getting cool stuff in the mail soon. Seeing how I started on my new baking adventure LOL. More on that coming soon as well.

: )

Cupcakes for Everyone, On A Stick, or Not

2009-10-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

I was looking around yesterday at all of the blogs I am a subscriber of and as you know when you start blog hopping you can find lots of very cool and interesting things out there.

I found Bakerella's website!! Her site is just the coolest thing ever! She makes all sorts of beautiful colorful treats not to sell but for fun as lots of us do. I had read about her on another blogger's website- - She posted a picture of Cake Pops that she had made and explained they came from Bakerella's website. I just had to check them out.

I was amazed when I started looking at all of the treats and reading the comments. People are going crazy over these tiny little bites. Well that lit a fire. As a cake lover myself as well as having 3 children in my home I knew that if I made a go at these it would not be a waste, so off to the store I went : ).

I followed all the directions given by Bakerella, and it was so easy to do. Why has no one thought of this before?

They turned out great and the family loved them. If I had a digital camera I would post a picture but here is a picture from her website:

Click HERE to go to the instructions page. Or you can click HERE for another post with a little more instruction. : ) Hope these help!!

I have to say these little treats were DELICIOUS!! We absolutely loved them. The only thing I don't quite understand is how to make the chocolate a little bit thinner so that there is not so much pooling on the wax paper while hardening. Other than that they were awesome. They even looked great when I did them, just a little picky I guess about the thinner chocolate. Then again, maybe it was the brand of chocolate bark I used. I just got a basic brand at the local grocery store to 'practice' on this run. Next time I will use the Wilton's melting chocolates and that may make the difference.

Ok, what are you waiting for? You know you want some of these for yourself, get busy!!

Silly Bandz- The New Kid Craze

2009-10-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

My kids have literally gone nuts over these little bracelets--- rubber bands--- called Silly Bandz. I don't know who started it but these things have taken over the school!!

If you have a child this is definitely something you can put down on a Christmas list. See the video:

You can get Silly Bands by Clicking HERE.

Or as I have been told my my 10 year old daughter- you can get them at Hibbet Sports or at Academy Sports and a few other locations.

Taco Bake

2009-10-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

1 lb.- Hamburger Meat

1 1/2 Cups- Salsa

1 Box- Macaroni & Cheese (not powder)

1 Cup- Sour Cream

1 Package- Taco Seasoning

1 Cup- Shredded Sharp Cheddar

Directions:

Prepare Hamburger meat as if making tacos, draining after cooking through, then add taco seasoning.

Also prepare macaroni & cheese as directed on the package.

Mix sour cream into macaroni & cheese.

Place half of mac & cheese mixture on bootom of casserole dish- follow with meat mixture.

Sprinkle half of the shredded cheddar on top of meat mixture.

Top with the rest of the Mac & Cheese mixture.

Now add the salsa on top then sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

** I made this and LOVE it!! I do add a little more cheese to the top and use a little more hamburger meat, but overall it is a great recipe. Kids love it too!!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2009-10-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

4 Cups- Cooked Cubed Boneless Chicken Breasts

2 Cans- Cream of Chicken Soup

1 Packge- Frozen Mixed Vegetables

1 Package- Cheese Cubes

1 Can Cresent Roll Dough

Directions:

Boil and cut up chicken and set aside. Make sure vegetable are thawed- by rinsing under warm water. In large bowl mix together the vegetables, both cans of cream of chicken soup, and the cut up or cubed chicken. Pour mixture into a 13x9 baking dish.

Take the package of cubed cheese and layer on top of the mixture.

Roll out the cresent roll dough and place in one sheet over the top to make the crust.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cresent roll topping is browned.

** I made this dish last night and it turned out great!! I actually bought a package of 8 large drumsticks then pulled all the meat from the bones and used that instead of using chicken breasts. It was more chicken for a better price. The kids LOVED it!! I will definitely be making this one again.

Sterling Silver Jewelry for LOW Cost!!!

2009-10-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I know I have posted this before but wanted to do a reminder. You can get Sterling Silver Jewelry for only shipping and handling just in time for Christmas. Or you can order from the catalog at a discounted price. Either way it's a bargain. I have some of the pieces myself and they are great for you or to give as gifts. Just click my banner below and go check it out!! Hope you enjoy!!

Happy Shopping!!

Recipe: Pork Medallions with Peas and Sauce

2009-10-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

6- 3/4 inch Boneless Pork Chops

2 Cups- Frozen Peas

1 Cup- Italian Dressing

1 Jar (10-12 oz.)- Heinz Turkey Gravy

1 Box- Stove Top Stuffing- Chicken Flavor

Directions:

Place Pork Chops into large skillet with tablespoon of Oil to brown. Brown both sides, approximately 7-10 minutes.

Start the water boiling for the stove top stuffing- fix as directed on the box and set aside.

Once chops are browned on both sides, add in Italian Dressing and Heinz Turkey Gravy, let that come to a boil.

Once mixture is boiling add in 2 cups frozen peas. Continue to boil for 3 minutes then reduce heat to Simmer. Cook until peas are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Place the stuffing that was set aside in portions on plates then put chops and the peas and gravy mixture on top.

** I made this for dinner despite the strange mixture of flavors and it was AMAZING!! Even the KIDS ate it and wanted more!!

Menu For The Week!!

2009-10-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Monday- Pork Medallions with Sauce and Peas- One skillet dinner

Tuesday- Chicken Pot Pie- Done Easy!!

Wednesday- Taco Bake

Thursday- Vegetable Soup

Friday- Eat Out Night!!

I will post some recipes for some of these meals and link them in when done!! Hope you enjoy if you try any of them. : )

Fall Has Arrived

2009-10-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Fall is a great time of the year. The leaves are starting to turn, county fairs are popping up all over. The air is cooler and the breeze is no longer full of humidity. This is one of my favorite times of the year. It's not too cold and it's not too hot.

It's the time of the year when we want to make Veggie Soup and Chili. Check out my recipes for those by the way, (I will hyper link those when I get the recipes posted).

I am excited about all of the Halloween projects I want to do with the kiddos. I woudl love to post pictures but well, my camera has broken. I will work on getting some pictures posted when I can. One project will be cupcakes of course because they can be hands on in the kitchen. Another would be making a whole cake that looks like a pumpkin.

Carving a pumpkin is also on our list of to do's for October of course. What's Halloween without a pumpkin. Trying to decide at this point if we will do one for each child or if we will just do one really big one. Probably one for each and a big one : ).

Stay Tuned!!

Happy Monday!!

2009-08-17T19:30:00.000-05:00

So today I am on a conference call with an ex-client, the one who still owes me money by the way, and he asks if I will help him out. It's kind of one of those if you scratch my back I will scratch yours type conversations. I basically put it to him this way- I work on this project with you - you pay me ON TIME IN FULL.... and he said ok.

I work on the project for a little over an hour and I get a message saying that if I want the project for my own it's mine if I want it. This project is for over 250 hours of work, of course I will take it.... with stipulations... I want payment for the first half, Second half when the project is done... I don't think it's a bad deal, I think it's only fair.

I also have a couple of other projects I am working on as well so at least I have something to fall back on. If you read this- keep me in your prayers, I am seriously hoping this gets me out of this hole I am in, though I have to say I am slowly but surely seeing the light of day again!!

This Week's Menu Plan

2009-08-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

This is subject to change but this is the plan so far:

Monday: Spanish Rice

Tuesday: Pot Roast

Wednesday: Chicken and Rice

Thursday: Pork Chops ( Grilled or Baked undecided as of yet)

Friday: TBD- Will be something easy or either leftovers from the previous nights. Probably will end up being Pizza.

As always with any menu this is subject to change lol. But I wanted to participate. :) Happy Dinner!!

Lazy Days

2009-08-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

I can remember when I was a kid in school, I loved Saturday because it meant I could sleep in. Not much has changed, I get to sleep in on saturday still :).

I don't have many plans for the weekend, just getting the house in somewhat of an order again from the past weeks goings on. I am going to try and post my menu for the week for next week Mon- Fri. Hopefully I will get that put up sometime tomorrow. I am going to try and look around the net to see what kind of deals I can find to share with you all so keep checking back. :)

Playing Catch-Up

2009-08-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

We survived Day one of school and this was Day 2 of school. Dylan's first two days were great!! He loves his teacher and there are couple of friends in his class he has known for a while from church so that is good. He loves being a big boy and carrying a back pack and taking his lunch. He has no problem going to bed at 8:30. LOL Yay!!! Things are finally looking up it seems.

T'was the Night Before The First Day Of School

2009-08-12T22:00:00.000-05:00

I have been so busy this past few days I have neglected my readers. It is Back To School time for my 3 kiddos and it's has been like a mad house with all the school shopping and getting everything in order again.

I found jeans for my daughter at Old Navy for $10, which was great. Then I went to JC Penney and used a $10 coupon they had sent me in the mail along with a 15% off survey coupon I printed off the net and I ended up saving almost $200 on clothes for my boys. I spent $56 at JC Penney and bought 3 pair of jeans for my oldest son, 4 shirts for him, 5 shirts for my youngest son and 2 pair of shorts plus one pair of cargo pants for him. I think I did great!!!

Thursday is their first day of school and I am still awake watching the live BB11 feeds and can not sleep. I think it's because I will not know what to do without at least one kid here 24/7. I will finally have a few hours a day (even if I do have to work while here) where their will be no "Mommy..." HA!! So this is what it's like when they start to get older. Whatever will I do with myself???

I will post first day of school updates tomorrow evening!! Stay Tuned!!

Family Movie Night

2009-08-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

We had a family movie night tonight after church. We watched 'Aliens In The Attic'.

Very cute movie and it's great spending time with family enjoying a movie that we all enjoy watching. If you haven't seen it yet then I would recommend it. Too cute. Better than 'G-Force' in my opinion.

:) Heather

Crayola Giveaway at 'The Neat Things In Life'

2009-08-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

Jammie from The Neat Things In Life is having a giveaway on her blog for a Crayola Pack. She gives details about this on her recent review on her blog. Please do go check it out and see what great things she has to offer!!

Contest Ends August 9th so go get your entry in fast!!

Oh and OHHH and Don't forget To Read My Articles for me PLEASE??

2009-08-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the link to my profile on AC so you can read them all. Thanks so much!! :)

Click Here: Heather's Articles on AC

2009-08-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

ZuZu's and Spagito's

2009-08-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

Kids can come up with some crazy alternate names for things. The two that stand out the most with my kids were ZuZu's which was my oldest son who is now 12. When he was around 3 and 4 he liked to play with ZuZu's. Now I know you are dying to know what a ZuZu is, so I will tell you. It's a lizard. Yep that's right, a lizard.

It was the funniest thing I had ever heard at the time. I still laugh everytime I think about it.

My yougest son and I were sitting on our porch waiting for Dad to come in from work and he kept saying that Spagito's were everywhere. It was the craziest thing I had ever heard. He is 5 by the way. He kept saying it and saying it and I was needless to say confused. Then it hit me all at once. MESQUITO!!! Ha!! I thought I was going to fall out of my chair laughing so hard. Then when I could speak again I said no it's a mesquito, and he said "Yea that" and started laughing with me.

I just had to share that!!! :) Kids are the sweetest.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-08-02T23:47:00.000-05:00

OK So the new movie coming out "The Time Traveler's Wife" has me so excited. It is supposedly a great love story. Seeing how I can not yet watch the movie I purchased the book in my outting this weekend. We were at BooksaMillion looking around and I saw this book and bought it. I paid more for it than what it is listed for on Amazon but that is just because I did not want to wait for it. I wanted it right then. MInd you I have not bought anything for myself in ages, and of course after I am done I can do a book trade or sell it to a new reader. So anyway, I think it would be great if we get a group together and read the book then post the reviews on our blogs or I can post your review here. Either way I just think it would be great to hear what others think.

Again here is the order link for Amazon:

And it will stay on the sidebar of my blog during this process.

So here is how it will go: You can either buy the book as I did from a book store- or you can click the link on the sidebar of my page and order from Amazon. I don't care how you get it but if you decide you want to participate please do add your name to the McLinky below so I can keep up with how many we have. And of course so I can read and comment on your blog udring the meantime. I would say the date of the review should be September 5th. That way everyone has enough time to purchase or order the book and recieve it and then read it. Happy Reading and I look forward to meeting a lot of new people as well as reading some great new blogs!! :)

Elephant Ears Project

2009-08-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

So while at my Aunt's house this weekend (I was trying to focus my mind somewhere besides on my oldest son) I noticed that she had some very large elephant ears in a pot on her back porch. Now when I say large I am talking 6 feet tall. I love these plants and had not planted any this year. Well I asked her how she got them so big and she said that they started in a small pot just one stalk with a leaf about 6 inches tall. She had taken it from a bed of them on the other side of her house. She fertilized it and she said it just took off and started sproutng more stalks. She took it from that small pot to a bigger pot and kept doing the same thing until before she knew it she had them 6 feet tall in this large pot on the porch.

Needless to say I ended up with baby elephant ears to bring home. I am going to give this a shot and see if I can get mine that big. I definitley need something to focus on that does not involve noise.

Well I have also just realized when I was trying to take a picture of my new plants to post on here, that my digital camera is broken.... great.

Just another day...

2009-08-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

I have managed to get out to get a little bit of school shopping done, still not anywhere near finished yet. My oldest is starting Middle School and there are so many fees to be paid, workbooks, locker fees etc. It goes on and on.

We came up with a budget for bills but still don't know how we will manage to get the rest of it done. I have decided it is going to take a miracle from God. I am praying that the ex-client I spoke of a few posts back gets me paid in full this week and if that happens then it will all get done. So for now I am just on a fence.

I am stressing so much right now it's not even funny. My oldest has found himself in a bit of a predicament, (boys being boys) so please say a prayer for him when you can.

FREE SAMPLES!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

1. Dove Shampoo Samples: Click Here

2. The next one sounds like a lot of fun and I can['t wait to get it!! Gooseberry Patch Fall Favorites with Sun-Maid® Raisins & Dried Fruit recipes!!

Gooseberry Patch Free Cookbook:
Gooseberry Cookbook Click Here

3. GAIN Detergent:
Febreze Freshness

4. Salada- Unbottle Your Tea FREE Drink Bottle: Free Drink Bottle Just Invite 5 Friends by email... surely you know 5 people :)

5. Free Ambi Soft & Even Stretch Mark Diminishing Oil & Colgate Wisp Samples:

Free Samples Here

That's all I have for now. I will try and do this each week if I can find at least 5 items each week. If any of you know of any please do leave me a comment!!

I can not gaurantee that the offers will still be available when you get to them but they worked for me :). If any have been closed by the time you click the links please let me know so I can edit accordingly.

:) Heather

What's Going On ....

2009-07-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ok so I have been super busy lately and I have missed a few posts but I am going to continue my 30 days of posting it might just take me a little longer than 30 days :).

The past few days I have been working on a few different things all at once. I have been working on articles for AC as well as two other projects that I have going on.

I finally got a few of my articles submitted and 2 of them have been published. If you would like to take a look at them I will post links to them at the end of this post. I do ask that you read them and leave me a comment under the article to let me know you read them :).

In other news, I had a former client contact me and ask if I would be interested in doing some work for him again. Now mind you this client is one who did not like to pay on time and the last work I did he has still not paid me in full for. He emailed me and asked if he paid me in full if I would be interested in working with him again. I told him the only way I would work for him again is if he would pay me upfront for any work he wants done via Paypal only. (He bounced a couple of checks on me which took him forever to make right) I am still not sure if I will do the work but other than the pay issue I had no other problems. I think if he pays me upfront then there shouldn't be a problem right?

I will keep you updated on that one.

Ok so here are the links to my articles as promised. When anyone reads my articles my page views go up and in turn it makes my offers go up for articles so any of you who would like to support me in my writing all you have to do is read :) and It would be much appreciated!! And if there is anything in turn I can do for you I will try my best to do so!!

Links here:
Back To School Shopping Tips

Tips On Being MOre Active

OK So I know I am behind a Little

2009-07-28T04:31:00.000-05:00

I have been super busy with some other things and have not forgotten about my blog posts--- they are in drafts... and I will publish shortly... :)

Thank You All for the Comments!!

2009-07-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

I just want to take this moment to thank you all for stopping by my blog and being supportive. This has been so much fun meeting all of the new people out there, and reading such great blogs. My posts will be short for this weekend, but next week I can't wait to get back to some great posts!! Thank you all!!

:) Heather

Day 3: Date Night

2009-07-24T13:17:00.000-05:00

So I decided to combine the post for Day 3 with Date Night. My fiance and I went out last night to a great little Italian place that we had heard about but had never been to. The food was great and the atmosphere was great too. We have kids at home and it has been months since we had a 'date' night. We took the plunge and decided to go out to dinner instead of cook. Best decision we have made in a while :). It was nice to rekindle that romance that we have been lacking for a while being so busy with the kiddos. Let us have that time to spend together and just talk without interruption, which is so nice. It wasn't anything fancy just the two of us spending some much needed quality time together. Hope I can post another one of these very soon!! Because last night was like we were 'dating' again. But I guess that's the point. LOL :)

Welcome Hoppers!!

2009-07-23T23:05:00.000-05:00

Glad you could stop by and hope you can make it back!! I look forward to reading some of your blogs as well!! Let's keep hopping, this is exciting!!

30 Days 30 Posts #2: Toddlers & Tiaras

2009-07-23T00:11:00.000-05:00

Ok so I am sitting here watching T.V. while I work on some freelance articles for AC. I have never watched this show but I though it would be interesting to watch since my daughter likes to do pageants from time to time. Boy was I wrong...

Now before I get flamed for bashing pageant kids or their moms: I AM A MOM OF A 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO LIKES PAGEANTS: with that said what the hell is wrong with SOME of these moms???? I mean seriously? One mom has 5 daughters who do pageants, ok no problem. Not only does she have 5 daughters but the oldest two are actually twins. Now, still no problem with that. The problem I have with it is that this lady is on NATIONAL T.V. saying that one of these twins is prettier than the other and that's why she wins more.

Ok so maybe I am overracting but come on!!! I could never in a million years say that ever about any of my children. Especially on national T.V. Now mind you not only does she say this but the daughter actually says she does not like competeing against her sister. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture? I mean really? Am I on a soapbox?? Please someone tell me I am not insane.

Ok so not only does the MOM say these things but while they are getting ready for the pageant the 'prettier' one says that her sister was bad when she was on stage. Then the mom actually says were you just talking bad about your sister. OMG!! Sorry for the abbreviations but the MOM just said earlier in the show how bad she was and that the other one was prettier and better in pageants and then she is going to scold the child for saying this about her sister? Seriously???

Well I guess I can watch to find out what NOT to do if my daughter WANTS to enter a pageant. Or maybe I should just change the channel and not watch anymore?

EDIT AFTER THE SHOW WAS OVER: So, I am just laughing out loud at the mom was fussing about. Turns out the so called 'pretty' one threw a fit before the talent competition and Dad removed her from the pageant. Mom was very down on the other twin left in the pageant saying she did not think she would win and they should just leave and guess what? THE OTHER TWIN WON THE GRAND TITLE of the ENTIRE pageant, eat your words Mom... Looks like she is the prettier one afterall. Hahahaha

New Article on Associated Content

2009-07-22T00:38:00.000-05:00

I just posted a new article on AC about the movie nights in Shelby County, AL.

Go here: Free Movie Nights

Success is a Journey not a Destination....

2009-07-18T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is something I heard a few nights ago while I was cooking dinner. The T.V. was on in the other room and I am not sure what program was on but I heard this quote being said and it stopped me in my tracks, Success is a Journey not a Destination. It made so much sense to me all of a sudden.

We are all determined to be successful, but do we really 'get' that it IS a journey to be taken and NOT a destination? I mean afterall, if we were to reach Success, does that mean it's the end of the road? Of course not, success is ongoing, therefore it's a journey and not a place to 'be'. I know I for one would like to be successful, and I am seeing that it is a journey to get there I just did not realize it in this way before.

We learn so many new things everyday in life. Or at least I have, especially lately. I am learning what I want to do with my resources and where I want to go, and right now as far as I can see, there is no real destination ahead. There is only a long winding road with many doors to open and explore.

:) Heather

Speaking of Back To School

2009-07-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

If any of you out there know of any great deals please do share!! I know there has to be coupons somewhere I don't know about or tips on how to get more for less. If you have any ideas or know of anything let me know!! I look forward to all the great responses!!

And if I come across any in my 'Back To School' journey in the next few weeks I will be sure to let you all know.

:) Heather

Back To School

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here it is the beginning of another school year. Where has the summer gone so quickly? I remember my school days when the summers seemed to go by so quickly and then we could not wait to get back to school and see all of our friends and catch up on what we had missed.

With that said I have 3 starting this year. have our school systems gone mad? I go to print out school supply lists and my mouth hit the floor. Since when did kids need all of this stuff?? I mean really, I remember needing a notebook and pencils. Now there are all sorts of fees for books and classroom fees, and art fees, and computer fees. The list goes on an on. I guess that goes with the times, you know the age of technology and all.

So for the next few weeks we will be busy getting ready for the big 'Back To School'. I have 18 years of thsi left to go..... pray for me lol!!!

Blog Title

2009-07-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

Ok so I am having a hard time giving my blog a title. I know I have the address for my blog but for some reason I can not for the life of me come up with a good title. I will leave it as is for now but if anyone has any suggestions please do send them my way.

Tired

2009-07-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

But aren't moms always tired? Whew, it's hard work being a Mom, wife, and working all at the same time. Guess that's why they say women have the babies, because the Men can't handle it. HA!!

I watched Facing The Giants yesterday. It was an amazing movie. I watched Fireproof a while back and cried through the whole thing. It is amazing what the Lord can do in our lives. Now if only I can get back to the place where I once was and let God handle the problems I can't on my own. I am working on it. I know there are just so many things I want done here and now and have little patience for wiating for things to happen. I guess we can't always have what we want, when we want it.

So I have come to a conclusion. While I wait for my prayers to be answered I will blog, and write articles. At least then I am being productive until He shows me the way in which he wants me to go. I have to do this for my health I believe.

About two weeks ago I started to have chest pains, it was scary. I did not know what it was and still not 100% sure, but I do know that I have to stop stressing about work and finances etc. So I will be venting alot, and posting here about my progress as far as work and the website and any other random posts I may think of.

:) Heather

So I Have Noticed

2009-07-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

I have noticed that most of my friends from high school have also found the blogging world. I guess we all get a little bored from time to time. It is interesting to see though who is getting married, who is having children. It is so cool how it feels like we are all at school again talking about our weekends etc. yet we are all over the USA posting our lives on the internet in hopes of staying connected to everyone in some form or fashion. I think maybe I need to revamp by blog soon. Just give it an update and maybe post some pictures.

On another note, I am agressively building my website, Sides Marketing. It's been a long time coming for me actually. I am sick of being ran over by all of the marketing companies I have worked for recently and have decided to finally take the plunge and do it on my own. This way I can be the one calling the shots instead of consulting everyone else and they run projects in teh ground. Seems like a great idea, for now anyway :).

Another Day....

2009-07-05T23:40:00.000-05:00

OK so I have been really stressed out lately and have not been updating as I should. I am in search of a new 'job' or project I should say. I won't go into detail but there are things goingon with the company I was with that just don't quite add up... sad really as it not only affects them but all the employees/contractors and their families as well but the owers don't really seem to care. Oh well...

So anyway, I had a long weekend.. for the most part it was good. My nephew turned 1 on Friday :). I wish I could spend more time with my neice Abby and Nephew Will, but right now not many in the family can do that. Thanks Sis.. for screwing it up for not only yourself as a mom but for us as family. So I guess I am a little crabby lately. Sorry, it's the stress I am sure.

I think what I really need is a closer relationship with God. I had it once but over the years I have strayed and I know that is my own fault. I can say I have been busy but it's no excuse. Maybe that is my problem. The devil is testing me because I have drifted into the 'unknown' so to speak.

I have so many ideas and thoughts but can never seem to bring them out into fruition. I always get sidetracked or I am also known to procrastinate I am told. It is time for me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and get busy with what needs to be done.

Update....

2009-06-18T02:37:00.000-05:00

Ok so I am being lazy again. Can't help it. At least I am not overeating I guess... So the next few days I will be very busy and will try to journal everything i eat and see how that goes. Wish me luck...

Ok I am a Slacker afterall....

2009-06-15T03:07:00.000-05:00

No need to tell me I have been slacking. I know. So the past week i have actually maganed to walk all but 2 of the last 6 days. OK I am getting there. Slowly but I am. I also plan to quit smoking but one thing at a time I guess. Or I could just go all out and quit while I get healthy.. would probably make more sense. Update soon... :)

Smoking... or lack of...

2009-03-15T10:39:00.001-05:00

Yes, I also stopped smoking.... well.. for about 24 hrs. so far. And I wake up this morning and my hip is KILLING me. Must of slept wrong. You know how you sometimes wake up and your neck hurts? Well, it's like that but it's my hip. This really sucks. On top of it all its RAINING!!! AHHH...

Heather

Ok So Sue me..

2009-03-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

Yes I know that I skipped yesterday. That's because there was not much to say. I did not do the workout yesterday morning. I was being lazy... yes I know that won't help me in any way.

What I ate yesterday: About 10 chips, a pork chop and hmm.. I think that was about it. Was not feeling very good and did not have much time because I was working. Mother nature sucks sometimes. :(

Hopefully today and tomorrow will be better. Stay tuned!! :)

Heather

I Have Decided

2009-03-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I probably have said that before, but this time I am serious. So, here's the plan. I am starting this blog to track progress and be a journal of sorts. I will track what I eat each day as well as, blog about my morning workout. This is going to be a very long, hard road ahead of me. After 7 years of sitting at a desk for 6-10 hours each day, any type of movement other than standing up and sitting down is going to be rough!!

Ok, so I figured better late than never right? We all make those New Year's resolutions, and very few of us keep them. Well.... I am a couple of months late.. but I think I am motivated more so than I was in January. I went for a walk at the park today with my children and to see them so happy and full of energy was amazing. I was also surprised how motivated I felt to want to give this a shot, finally. I have been procrastinating and I have decided NO MORE!!!

I will update this blog EVERY day with workouts I did for the day and my food intake. Hopefully having to be held accountable will help motivate me even more to pay attention to what I eat. So here goes nothin' anyone else want to join me?

OK so what did I do today? Well, as I said above, we went for a walk at the park. I also took my dog Sadie, which is more work that it seems. I probably walked for a good 20 minutes and the other 20 minutes I was running behind her :)

What did I eat today? Hmm.. let's see, I did not eat anything for breakfast- I know... bad idea. I ate half of a sandwich that was left over from Subway the day before. Subway is supposed to be healthy right? Then I had a hotdog and some chips for dinner. I ate a piece of white chocolate afterwards. Yes I know... that was not healthy, but I did it anyway. OH!! I cooked brussell sprouts for tomorrow :) That's good right? Ha!

Ok so tomorrow I need to get up and have a decent breakfast to get my metabolism moving and then do my 30 minute workout with Denise Austin- I picked her because I have done her workouts before and she totally kicks my butt every time.

It's late... so I should probably go. Will be back tomorrow to update!!!

Heather :)