Aimee vs. Life

My version of polar express

2011-12-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

So I know I've mentioned it before, but I love www.pinterest.com it gives me amazing ideas. Today I made tickets to take my kids on the RX-8 express. Kind of like the polar express. We'll be going to look at christmas lights tonight in our pjs and the kids will have to have their tickets to get into the car. I plan to use the hole punch to punch their tickets before letting them get into the car. It's gonna be so fun. We will listen to holiday music and stop for hot chocolate for maddi and coffee for me from starbucks thanks to the gift card that i got from my secret santa. if you want the tickets you can get them here.You can edit them to say the name of your car express and use them with your kids. Print them on gold paper for a special touch. I'll add pictures from our trip later.

My "New" Stool

2011-12-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago I saw this really cute stool on http://www.pinterest.com/ I loved it, and decided I could make one for myself with the stool i already had in my classroom, some paint I already had at home, and a feather boa I bought at michaels for about $6. I try to find the picture of the stool that was my inspiration and post it on here later.

First I decided what colors I wanted to use and what design I wanted on my stool. I decided to go with a mainly black and white theme using zebra print and leopard print (not normal leopard colors) with a horse and my name on the seat (our school mascot is the Mustangs).

I then painted the whole stool white and then drew out my design except for the leopard print....that was done freehand with the paints later.

After I finished drawing it all on with pencil it was time to start adding on the colored paints. It took a few days to complete just doing a little here and there when I had an extra minute here or there.

I was able to finish up the stool on my birthday and I was so excited about it. I love how it turned out. www.pinterest.com is an amazing website and has some great fun ideas to try. I'm lovin' it.

Elf on the Shelf night 10

2011-12-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

Last night the elf was being tricky again he drew pictures on the frames that had our pictures in them using a dry erase marker maddi had left out. She almost started crying when she first saw it until i showed her it would wipe off.

Elf on the Shelf night 9

2011-12-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to a fairly cute little surprise from Blue Bell over by the christmas tree he had gotten a candle and roasted some mini marshmallows over the flame while sitting in one of Barbie's chairs. He had blown the candle out after finishing roasting so nothing would catch on fire. Later maddi ended up eating the marshmallows he roasted and she said they were good.

Elf on the Shelf Night 8

2011-12-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

First thing monday morning we wake up to toothpaste on the mirror in the bathroom. He used my toothpaste to write Elf on the Shelf on the mirror. O what a messy little thing he can be. :)

Elf on the Shelf Night 7

2011-12-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

So last night me and Maddison went to see one of my students perform in the nutcracker ballet, and Maddison got her very own nutcracker as a souvenier to bring home. She said she hoped the elf would leave it alone, but he didn't he cracked some nuts with it and played with it. He didn't break it though.

I missed getting to take a picture with the nuts around him that he had cracked, because maddi cleaned them up before I woke up, but I have a picture of him with the nutcracker.

Elf on the Shelf Night 6

2011-12-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

When Maddi was cleaning up the mess from Night 5's adventure she decided that Blue Bell wanted his own house. So she made him a house out of a cardboard box. Last night he decided to get in it and make a snowman out of big marshmallows in his house.

Elf on the Shelf Night 5

2011-12-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Last Night he must have been very busy, because he printed out pictures of himself, cut them out and taped them to the pictures on the shelf in the living room.

Elf on the Shelf Night 4

2011-12-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

Today we found him hanging in the hanging ivy plant. He sure is an adventurous little elf.

Elf on the Shelf Night 3

2011-12-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

He must have gotten sleepy last night because we found him napping in the tissue box this morning. :)

Elf on the Shelf night 2

2011-12-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last night Blue bell apparently had a snowball fight using mini marshmallows with some of Maddi's Barbies.

Elf on the Shelf Night 1

2011-12-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

When we woke up after night 1 we found maddison's underware and Jason's diapers decorating the christmas tree. It was too funny. :)

$6.55 Crockpot Chicken Dinner

2011-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

Feeds at least 4
Ingredients:
Chicken choose the parts you like best or a whole chicken ( I use 2 packs of chicken thighs from the dollar tree $2)
Small bag of baby carrots($0.99 at the 99cent store)
4 or 5 red potatoes ($0.99 at the 99cent store)
Package of sliced mushrooms ($0.99 at the 99cent store)
2 small onions or one big one quartered ($0.59 at the 99cent store)
1 small can of chicken broth ($0.99 at the 99cent store)
1 T of chopped garlic (had in fridge)
2 T of poultry/seafood seasoning (had in pantry)
1 t of seasoned meat tenderizer (had in pantry)
Directions:
Put everything in crock pot and turn on low for 6-8 hours

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

We got an Elf on the Shelf this Year. He came in the mail in a box with a book telling all about him. We didn't get him on thanksgiving, but he'll still have plenty of time to let santa know if maddi has been naughty or nice :) Maddison decided to name our Elf Blue Bell after several minutes of debating.

Here is a synopsis of the story:

Every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, each family's scout elf watches over the children and then at night, once everyone goes to bed, the elf flies back to the North Pole to report back to Santa about what activities, good and bad, took place throughout the day. Before the family wakes up each morning, the scout elf flies back from the North Pole and hides. By hiding in a new spot each morning around the house, the scout elf and the family play an on-going game of hide and seek. The Elf on the Shelf explains that elves get their magic by being named. In the back of each book, families have an opportunity to write their elf's name and the date that they adopted it. Once the elf is named, the scout elf receives its special Christmas magic which allows it to fly to and from the North Pole. However, the magic might go if touched, so the rule for The Elf on the Shelf states: "There's only one rule that you have to follow so I will come back and be here tomorrow: Please do not touch me. My magic might go, and Santa won't hear all I've seen or I know." Although families aren't supposed to touch their scout elf, they can talk to it and tell it all their Christmas wishes so it can report back to Santa accurately.

I will try to post pictures and descriptions of what activities our elf does throughout the season. I am very excited about this new tradition we are starting :)

Making Bows

2011-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

So ever since I joined www.pinterest.com I have been seeing really cute hair bows for little girls and I couldn't wait to try some of my own.

Of course I had to wait a little while, because I had to order some alligator clips and go buy some ribbons and jewels.

Bows that I have seen in the specialty shops that are close to the same size as the ones I have made go from about $5.99 to $10.99 and some of them aren't even as cute or detailed as the ones I have made for a fraction of the cost.

To make my bows I used some different ribbons, artificial flowers, plastic jewels, alligator clips, scissors, hot glue, and a hot glue gun. I had the flowers, glue, glue gun, scissors, and some of the ribbon on hand so i didn't have to buy much and what i did, didn't cost too much.

I made a bunch of different bows in different colors and plan to make even more soon. I love these and my daughter does too.

I also decided to have my son model one of the bows on his head too. Isn't he adorable?

Eyes

2011-11-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

So I have been a little obsessed with taking pictures of my eyes lately after I do my eye makeup in the mornings. I think I'll post some of them on here...maybe it'll give someone some

inspiration.

Somethings missing

2011-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

I have recently decided that something is missing in my life so I decided to join a couple of online "dating" sites to try to find some new friends and maybe something more if it works out that way. I have messaged back and forth with a couple of people and am just seeing where it takes me.

I really don't have any expectations for this, because I am not really sure what to think, but I want to start going out again occasionally and I need friends to go out with.

I'll update with how things go as i feel i should.

Fiesta Dinner Cupcakes

2011-11-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

1 lb. ground turkey

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 can diced chilly ready tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning

1/2 bunch of cilantro

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

10 grands jr biscuits

1. Brown turkey.

2. Then follow directions on taco seasoning packet.

3. Add can of tomatoes.

4. Drain corn and beans and add.

5. cut up cilantro and add to mix.

6. press biscuits out into cupcake pan.

7. Scoop mix into biscuits.

8. Add cheese on top.

9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-20 minutes.

10. Take out of oven and enjoy.

i'll edit this later and add the picture. I am too tired to upload pictures tonight.

So Behind

2011-11-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a really long time since I've written.

I had my sweet little boy on July 14, 2011 at 5:45pm. He was 3 weeks early. He weighed 5lbs and was 18.5in long. We named him Jason Blaine Denton.

I love my tiny guy.

He is now a little over 3 months old and has fattened up quite a bit.

I have been battling postpartum depression since shortly after having him and have been struggling to not cry all day every day. I am starting to get a little better with the help of medicine. I still have my bad times, but i have a few breaks from crying now too.

I have already started back to work and got a big surprise when i got back. I am teaching a class i had never taught before and wasn't aware I would be teaching, but now i will be using all of my certifications for the classes i'm teaching :)

This time 6 years ago I was going into the hospital for the 3rd time to have my little princess and they finally let me stay. She was born at 2:08pm on November 3, 2005.

She is now a kindergartner. I can not believe how fast time has gone by. She has already lost two teeth. She'll be driving before I know it :(

So long for now hopefully I'll be back really soon with some new posts maybe craft projects or food :)

Pay it forward

2011-03-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

I herd about this from one of the blogs I follow

http://lumpkinandme.blogspot.com/2011/03/pay-it-forward.html?showComment=1299554251623#c1303371614766789303 This is a great blog and you should check it out sometime. I decided I would do this because it sounds like fun and maybe I can get some more followers in the process and of course I can pay it forward.

Here are the guidelines:

The first five people who comment on this blog post will receive a handmade gift from me! (Aimee)

In return,

you must write a blog post explaining Pay It Forward 2011.

Then.... send out a handmade gift to the first 5 visitors who leave a comment. Take your time...you don't need to send them in the next few days. These creative gifts made with your hands and hearts will be worth the wait.

So, what are you waiting for? It's bound to be a lot of fun!

"It's not the size of the gift that matters, but the spirit of paying it forward."

Act quickly! 5 openings fill up fast!

P.S. If you haven't seen the movie... you just gotta!!! It's awesome!

Painting Class Inspirations

2011-03-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

So Friday night I went to a painting class called Sip-n-Doodle in McKinney. It was a lot of fun. Of course do to my current situation (baby in the belly) I didn't sip on wine like the rest of the class, but had a good time anyways. You should definitely check one of these classes out in your area they are not the typical painting class. They are a lot more fun :)

So on to why I am writing this blog. At the class I chose to paint a really cute picture of a monkey with a banana hanging over it's head for my baby to be :) After finishing it I realized that my 5 year old would not be very happy if I didn't paint something for her too. So I decided I would do a dog with a bone for her (dogs are her favorite animals).

First I went and bought a canvas and some more acrylic paint from Michael's. The size of canvas that I wanted only came in a 3 pack for $10.99 :( However I was able to use a 50% off coupon from the website on my phone (i love technology) which made the price much more reasonable :)

My first step was to paint the background. I chose to mix blue, purple and white for a pretty periwinkle type of color. I did the mixing of the colors on the canvas like I learned to in my class. It really does make a difference and makes it not look so flat :)

After letting that dry (I sure wish I had a blow dryer like they did in class...so today I went and bought one...didn't help me last night for this painting, but I have 2 blank canvases that need to be painted) I used a piece of chalk to draw out my design for my dog and the bone. This was another tip I learned in class.

Then it was time to start painting the dog and the bone. I made sure I mixed my colors on the canvas and painted until it looked the way I wanted it to. I wasn't sure when I started how it would look with out the guidance of a "real" artist, but I am very happy with the way it turned out.

ThreadUP

2011-03-01T21:29:00.001-08:00

This is an amazing site that I would reccomend to anyone with children for "swapping" clothes and Eversave.com has a great deal for it today check it out here. For $20 you get a box og clothes and a 1 year pro membership with free shipping. I just ordered my box :) Also don't forget about my give away offer you can get to it here.

Give away

2011-02-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

I've decided to try a small giveaway to try to get some new followers. I will give one lucky follower a Note Pad Purse handmade by me. This is the first give away I will do. I will try to do at least 1 a month from here out.

To win this all you need to do is become a google follower of this blog and you will be entered in the drawing for it.

Good Luck to all of you :)

You can post a link to this on your blog or facebook if you would like and let me know you did and i will give you an extra entry for each.

Note Pad Purses

2011-02-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

I decided to make these after I saw a post about them at Infarrantly Creative where she made some that were super cute. Check out her blog she always has really cute stuff on it.

Mine are basically the same, but my paint chips were from Valspar because Lowe's didn't have Behr paint chips. Also I used stickers instead of brads because I found the stickers on sale 4 for $0.49 at Michael's Arts & Crafts.

Supplies:

Paint chips *free -Lowes

Stickers *4 for $0.49 - Michael's Arts & Crafts

ribbon *12 for $1.00 (ribbon spool of 6 designs each cut in half) - Target

note pads *16 parts $2.49 (set of 4 pastels divided into 4 sections of each color) - Target

Cost per note pad purse $0.36

So basically these are super cute and really cheap too :)

1. Using a Behr paint chip or a 5” x 6” piece of cardstock score the long side 3 6/8”, 3 1/2”, 1 1/8”, and 7/8”. Fold at lines.

2. Cut the sides at an angle to form a purse shape.

3. Hole punch the top of your purse with two holes for the purse handle using a small punch. Attach sticker or brad to the front of the purse to stick the flap under.

4. Using ribbon attach your purse handle. Double knot the ends so it stays in place.

5. Grab a small stack of post it notes. Make sure the sticky part is at the bottom of your purse using scissors trim the sides at a slight angle (like your purchase base).

6. Using double sided adhesive adhere the post it notes to the inside base of your purse. Close it and you are done.

matching outfits

2011-02-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

I made me and my daughter matching shirts and pants for Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2010.

This is the painted part of the Thanksgiving shirt.

This is the Christmas shirt.

This is the Christmas pants.

I used ribbon, paint, and hot glue to make these :) They were super fun to make and super cute to wear.

Talked About Good :)

2011-02-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

So for the first time ever I was talked about on another blog go check out Craft Monkey. She's an amazing blogger and makes some really cool crafts too. :)

Serving Dish

2011-02-25T19:56:00.001-08:00

So I got the idea for this project from another blog Tatertots & Jello she made hers a little fancier than mine.

I bought 2 blue plates at the Dollar Tree, 2 blue bowls at the Dollar Tree and 2 clear candle stick holders at the Dollar Tree. I had E6000 glue in my supplies. So each serving dish cost me $3. I made two :)

I love how they turned out and plan to use them tomorrow at my premier jewelry party. I'll put dips in the bowls and veggies and crackers on the plates.

Lucky Notes

2011-02-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

wooden clothes pins- Dollar Tree (36-$1.00 about $0.03 ea.)

wooden picture frame- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($1.00 ea.)Craft Smart lime green acrylic paint- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($0.50 per 2oz. used about $0.25 worth)
Craft Smart shamrock acrylic paint- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($0.50 per 2oz. used about $0.25 worth)Craft Smart black acrylic paint- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($0.50 per 2oz. used about $0.02 worth)1/8 roll of cork board- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($3.49 roll about $0.44 ea.)Celebrate it St Patrick's Day floral piece with 4 shamrocks- Michael's Arts & Crafts ($0.99 for the 4 about $0.25 ea.)Mod Podge Satin - Michael's Arts & Crafts ($3.99 for 8 oz about $0.13 worth used)Scrapbooking romantic 12"x12" acid free paper pack of 12 sheets- Target ($1.00 for 12 sheets about $0.09 ea.)
Hot glue mini sticks bag of 100 - Wal-Mart ($3.99 about $0.04 ea.)
Total cost about $2.56

1. Gather your materials.
2. Paint the wooden clothes pins with the lime green paint and allow to dry.3. Paint the wooden frame with the shamrock paint and allow the paint to dry.4. Use the cardboard piece from the frame to trace on the cork board the size you need and cut it out.5. Paint the piece of cork board with the lime green paint and allow paint to dry.
6. Mod Podge a piece of green patterned scrapbook paper to one side of the card board from the picture frame and allow to dry.7. Using hot glue gun, glue the cork board piece onto the other side of the cardboard piece.
8. On the front towards the bottom left of the frame paint Top O' the Mornin' in black acrylic paint.9. Using the hot glue gun glue the clover on the bottom right of the frame and the clothes pins at the top of the frame.

Quiz: What Kind of Dad Will He Be?

2011-02-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

Quiz: What Kind of Dad Will He Be?

I just took this quiz for fun and the answers I gave about Michael got the results:
He's a Well-Balanced Dad!
The well-balanced dad is a wonderful mix of love, discipline, and fun. He enjoys playing with the kids, but he also knows where to draw the line and dole out discipline firmly and fairly. He's also willing to help out with the care-taking aspects of parenting, such as bathing, feeding, and dealing with a sick child -- even if he may sometimes need a bit of a nudge to do it.This is a great dad to have around because he has both a strong sense of self and is attentive to the kids. However, keeping a balance isn't easy. When dad seems to be feeling overwhelmed, give him an evening or an afternoon to regain his balance.This quiz is for entertainment and/or educational purposes only. All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

I guess we'll see if it's right or not after baby Jason gets here. It only took a couple minutes to take and it was fun to see what it said. I kind of like taking quizzes they remind me of when I was a teenager and took all the quizzes in the teen magazines :)

Mixed Emotions

2011-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

It been quite the emotional weekend for me. However, I will be ok and I know that baby Jason is still loved by his dad.
The situation isn't ideal, but neither would it be if Michael stayed with me just because of the baby and was miserable. I understand why he ended it. That of course doesn't mean I am happy that it's over, but I want Michael to be happy and he's just not with me.
I know that some people are very upset with him over the whole thing and in a way I kind of understand their being upset, because they don't want to see me upset and are worried that the stress won't be good for the baby. However, I don't want them to be upset with him for this, because it's what will probably be best for me, him and baby Jason. At least this way I will still be able to talk to him and not think he's awful. I don't want things between him and me to turn out anything like things between me and Maddison's dad did. (not that he's really anything like Maddison's dad)
We will get through this and love this baby no matter what. Sure things will be difficult at times, but with a baby things are always difficult at times. Showing him love and care is the most important thing. The baby and Maddison are the most important people.

Not so Happy Anymore

2011-02-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Sorry for those of you who were getting used to my happy little posts and fun crafts and projects. I'll get back to them very soon.

I am having a very bad night tonight though. The father of my unborn child broke up with me tonight. He said he's just not in love with me and doesn't think it's fair for us to stay together.

Which as soon as I am done being sad and mad and done feeling worthless, I am sure I will understand and be ok and get over it. However, right now I am very upset.

I am sure that being pregnant only adds to the emotions I'm feeling right now. Plus I really wish I could have a drink or a cigarette to help deal with the pain, but know that I can't risk hurting the baby.

I basically more than anything am feeling sorry for my self because I don't think i'll ever be loved in a relationship.

I guess I'll always have my children and family to love me. I am going to stop right here.

Flowers from my Sweetheart

2011-02-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

So I got beautiful flowers from Michael for Valentine's day today. (we didn't get to see each other yesterday so we exchanged gifts tonight at his soccer game) I got him a little teddy bear and a box of chocolates and he got me beautiful flowers :)

I am so happy and I love them and him :)

Valentine's Night

2011-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well I made it through the day. I even got a cupcake from the PTA at school, and it was very yummy.

After school I took Maddison to gymnastics and then came home and

cooked Taco Soup for dinner. For my first time cooking it I think it turned out really good.

In fact I thought it tasted so good that I got myself a second bowl. The second bowl was not such a good idea my pregnant belly can not handle that much food at one time. I got sick :(

Valentine's Present

2011-02-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

So my daughter gave me my valentine's present tonight so that I would give her hers. She gave me a card that she made that is very cute and a pink sock monkey that my grandma helped her get for me. When she gave me the sock monkey she told me that I have to share it with her. I love that she gives stipulations with gifts. She cracks me up and keeps me on my toes.

Ultrasound Picture Frames

2011-02-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

I was given a cute frame for my daughter's ultrasound picture when I was pregnant with her, but I decided to get creative and make my own for my son's ultra sound picture plus I made one to give to his daddy and one to give to his daddy's mom.

Things I used:

$1 wooden picture frames from Michael's Arts and Crafts

$0.50 acrylic paint in assorted colors from Michael's Arts and Crafts

free sheet protectors that I had on hand

free scrapbook paper that i had on hand

So basically the frames cost about $1.50 each

The first thing I did was use a pencil to draw out the designs I wanted to paint on each of them.

Then I painted the frames and waited for them to dry.

While they were drying I cut out scrapbook paper to use as the mat for the photo. I also cut sheet protectors to use as the protector to go in front of the picture since the $1 frames don't come with glass or plastic.

After they dried I put them together and printed out copies of my ultra sound to put in the frames they turned out super cute.

Valentine Boxes

2011-02-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't do much for Maddison's teachers at Christmas time so I decided they needed something a little more special for valentine's this year. So I started looking through the blog world and found something I liked here at Echoes of Laughter: A Sweet Treat for Teacher... and I modified it to work better for us.

I think they ended up turning out pretty cute. I will be adding the teacher's names on them this afternoon with my paint pens while Maddison takes a nap. She put all the stickers on and helped with filling the compartments.

The things I got for this project:

boxes with divided compartments $3 each at Walmart in the fishing aisle.
bags of wrapped valentines candies $1 each at Dollar Tree.
hand sanitizer 2 pack $1 for the pack at Dollar Tree.
valentine erasers a lot in a pack $1 for pack at Dollar Tree.
sweethearts lipgloss $1 each at Dollar Tree.
Small Clips $0.75 on clearance at Walmart.
pack of stickers $1 at Dollar Tree.

So each box ended up costing under $10, and they turned out super cute.

Maddi had a lot of fun decorating the outside of the boxes with the stickers and helping me divide up the things to put in the little box and I am sure her teachers are going to love them.

Taco Soup

2011-02-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

I just recieved this recipe today. I have not tried it yet, but it sounds really good and i will try it very soon.

Ingredients:
16 oz. can chili beans
16 oz. kidney beans
16 oz. can black beans
19 oz. can tomato sauce
28 oz. can diced stewed tomatoes
16 oz. can whole corn
16 oz. creamed corn
pkg. taco seasoning
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 lb. ground turkey fully cooked.
1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped
1 sm. can chopped green chilies

Directions:
1. Do not drain any of the canned foods.

2. Add all ingredients to a crock pot and add taco seasoning to the soup.

3. Brown the ground turkey in a pan with the chopped onion and add this combination to the crock pot.

4. Simmer for at least a couple of hours.

5. Serve warm and garnish with optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips

or to make on stove top

1. cook meat with veggies and taco seasoning and chili powder in large dutch oven.

2. Then add all other ingredients and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Snow Ice Cream

2011-02-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today is the 5th snow day out of school this year. The first 4 were last week Tuesday - Friday. We went to school Monday and Tuesday this week then woke up to another snow day today. The snow today is the right kind for snow ice cream so I helped Maddi make some chocolate snow ice cream. My favorite snow ice cream is actually vanilla, but this was for Maddi the queen of chocolate. Here are the steps to make some if you would like:

Chocolate Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups of snow

3 T of chocolate milk

1 T of chocolate syrup (not really necessary, but the queen of chocolate likes hers to have extra chocolate)

Directions:

1. Find snow that doesn't have dirt or other things you wouldn't want to ingest.

2. Stir snow milk and syrup together and serve.

Vanilla Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups of snow

3T milk

1T vanilla extract

2T sugar

Directions:

1. Find snow that doesn't have dirt or other things you wouldn't want to ingest.

2. Stir ingredients together and serve.

My Seafood Gumbo

2011-02-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 T of butter or vegetable oil

1/4 cup flour

1 bag frozen chopped onions, celery, bell peppers mix

2 bags frozen sliced okra

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 box chicken broth

1 normal can stewed tomatoes

1 normal can tomatoes, celery, onion mix

2 cans tiny shrimp

1 bag small frozen cooked shrimp

4 T Worcestershire sauce (Frenches is my favorite brand)

1T garlic powder

2T seasoned salt

1 T fresh ground pepper

1 T Cajun seasoning

1 T onion powder

1 T basil chopped

you can add other things as you wish, but this is a good start

Directions:

1. Saute the frozen onion mix bag in the oil or butter.

2. Slowly add the flour to create the roux you may need to add a little more oil or butter as needed.

3. Add the chicken broth while stirring.

4. Add in the cans of tomatoes and heat to a boil.

5. Add the seasonings lower the heat and let simmer for at least 1 hour.

6. Add the okra in 30 min before serving.

7. Add the shrimp in 15min before serving.

8. Serve

You can serve it by itself, with rice, or with bread depending on how you like it

Primavera Potato Salad

2011-02-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs unpeeled new potatoes

5 ounces fresh green beans, sliced (1 inch, about 1 cup)

1/2 cup diagonally thinly sliced carrots

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add green beans and carrots; cook five minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork. Drain; cool under cold running water.

2. Whisk all ingredients from olive down in a small bowl until well-blended.

3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter large ones and half small ones. Place in large bowl, along with beans, and carrots. Toss with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Baby movements :)

2011-02-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow I will be 15 weeks pregnant and I am starting to feel the sweet little flutters of my sweet baby boy moving around. I am so glad i found out i was pregnant very early with this one so I can enjoy all the things i didn't know were happening when I was pregnant with my sweet Maddi.

His little movements feel kind of like butterflies or popping bubbles in my belly and you can't feel anything from the outside of my belly, but I love feeling them when I'm still.

I will be even more excited when I can feel his movements from the outside so I can let sweet little Maddi and his Daddy Michael feel him too, but for now at least I can feel him and it puts a smile on my face each time i feel a little flutter :)

New Addition coming to my life soon :)

2011-02-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I've taken the time to post on here. I am expecting a baby boy due Aug 2, 2011. Michael is his daddy and his name will be Jason Blaine Denton.

My lovely daughter was not very excited about becoming a big sister when we told her. In fact she even cried about it. Then she decided it would be ok as long as she had a sister, and well that was another hurdle to get over when i told her that she was getting a brother. Now she is starting to be happy about him.

Michael is incredibly excited about him. He missed the ultrasound when I found out we were having a boy, but the look on his face when i showed him the picture of his parts was priceless. This will be his first child and his parents first grandson. They are super excited also.

So all in all things are going great right now. I am super busy, and will soon be busier, but extremely happy too.

Labor Day

2010-09-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

So as I expected today was a great day too!!!

I went to sleep around 5 this morning and Michael came in around 6:30 or 7 not exactly sure on the time as I was sleepy and didn't look at a clock. He was kinda restless so we did some cuddling and then got up sometime between 8:30 and 9.

Normally I would be grumpy about getting up so early when i don't have to go anywhere, but with Michael things are different and I was fine with it. In fact I might even go as far as to say I was happy to be getting up to spend some time with him.

His mom made biscuits and gravy for breakfast and I had a cup of cappuccino with mine yummy!!! We went out for Michael to help a little with the storage sheds and then when his dad and grandpa went to town to get some more supplies we went back inside and watched some TV.

After a while of TV watching we went and laid down for a nap (I love naps!!!) he needed the nap so he could be ready to work all night tonight.

At about 3:30 I got up and got ready to go pick up Maddi from her dad's house. Of course it didn't take me as long as I thought it would to get back so I stopped by my dad's house for a bit before going to get her from her dad's mom's house.

After picking Maddi up we went to my friend Amber's house to return some stuff of hers that I had and Maddi got to play with Chloe (the dog).

On the way back to our house Maddi decided she wanted to make dinner for us using her easy bake oven so we stopped by Kroger to get the things she needed to make mini pizzas.

When we got home she made them and we ate them (they actually turned out pretty good).

So I would say all in all it was a great day :)

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

So I think I may have had one of the best Labor Day Weekends I have had in a long time, and it's not quite over yet. I still have tomorrow :)

It's not that I really did anything all that exciting... I didn't go out of town or even to the lake or anything like that.

What I did do is spend the entire weekend with my boyfriend and his family.

Thursday night we went to his soccer game and then out with my friends at Electric Cowboy afterwards, which as always is a blast.

Friday I went to work, and then afterwards drove to his brother Chris' house (it's a little over an hour drive, but overall not too bad) where we hung out, watched some TV, played with his niece, ate some pizza, played a game, and went to bed.

Saturday morning we got up and got dressed then went to his parents house. We went with them to the tux fitting for his brother Josh's wedding and while him and his dad were getting fitted his mom and I went to look for a dress for her (we didn't end up finding one) and then went back to pick them up. Then we went to his dad's work to help with moving some stuff, and then to someones house to pick up a tree limb that had fallen. After all that we ran by WalMart to get some stuff for dinner and headed back to his parents house. His brother Chris and his wife and their little girl came over for dinner. We had a good time and I had fun playing with McKenzie. Then Michael left for work and a short while later me and his mom realized he left his phone at the house. So we took it to him (little more than 30 min drive each way) and talked with him for a few minutes at his work. Then we went back to his parents house and I played on his computer until the wee hours of the morning and crawled into bed about an hour before he got off of work.

He came home around 7 Sunday morning and crawled into bed with me where I slept until 3pm at which time I decided to get up and shower and get ready for the rest of the day. He was still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake him up so I went outside to see what everyone else was up to. His dad and grandpa were working on building a storage shed and his grandma was watching so I talked with her for a while and "helped" when asked to get things or hold things (I'm not much help when it comes to building stuff but I can hand things to people and usually hold things). Michael woke up and by that time his dad had realized he needed a few more things from the hardware store so me and Michael went and got them (about a 15 min drive each way). When we got back we went inside to watch some TV and Michael ate a huge bowl of Macaroni and Cheese. A little bit later it was time for Michael to go to work again and I had Chinese food with his parents and grandparents for dinner yummy :) Then I played with one of the cats and one of the dogs for a while.For the past few hours I have been sitting at his computer again playing on the computer.

So while it wasn't an extremely exciting event filled weekend, it was a perfect calm relaxing weekend with people I enjoy being around and plenty of smiles and laughs. Tomorrow I get to go get my princess which will I am sure end my weekend in a wonderful way because she is my little angel and I miss her when she's gone. Then it'll be back to school on Tuesday for my 3 and a half day week (Wednesday I will only work a half day, because I am getting a tooth extracted).

Falling in Love

2010-08-28T20:46:00.002-07:00

It's such a wonderful feeling to feel... the feeling of falling in love :) I've had my fair share of bad relationships and relationships that started out okay but then took a turn for the worst, but this time it feels so much different.

With Michael it is different, there is no doubt in my mind that it is different. He is amazing on every level. He's absolutely the sweetest, kindest most caring guy I have met and he is absolutely gorgeous on top of that.

He sends me some of the sweetest texts when we are apart and when we are together we can talk for hours or say nothing at all and just hold each other.

I feel complete when I am with him. He can make me smile just looking at him :) He has incredibly beautiful blue eyes that say so much. I love to just look into them.

He can be so tender and caring with me and so strong and amazing when playing soccer. I could watch him all day and not get bored in any way whatsoever.

He doesn't criticize me or make me feel dumb in any way, and he's incredibly smart too. I can ask him almost anything and he usually knows the answer and doesn't make me feel dumb for asking.

We were planning on taking things slowly, but it's hard to take things slow when you've found someone so perfect for you.

When he first told me he loved me I felt like my heart skipped a beat. I had been trying really hard not to tell him I loved him the couple days before he said it, and I loved that he could say it and did.

I know that some people will think that if we are telling each other we love each other after only a couple of weeks of dating that we are moving too fast, but I feel that love has it's own pace and when you find the person that is right time no longer matters.

He is also incredibly wonderful with my daughter. They have fun together he's a big kid at heart and they have a lot in common. I notice little things all the time that they do the same. It's really cute when I see a new thing that they do alike.

Last night we went bowling and Maddi kept telling me that her and him were good at bowling, but I'm not. Which is completely true, but was extremely cute coming from her.

I was not expecting to fall in love going into this relationship, I mean I actually wasn't even looking for anyone to date when we were set up, but I am so happy we are together and falling in love with each other. He is a truly amazing guy!!!

First Week of School

2010-08-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

The first week back to school went incredibly well. My students are incredibly sweet and excited about the year.

I am only teaching 2 different subjects this year which means my planning is much easier, but I did loose a planning period that I used to have for working on the school's website. Which means that I have more work to do than I can complete during the school day.

I am still extremely excited about this year. I'll have a little more work to do at home, but my students will make it all worth it. I love seeing how excited they are.

Life is Amazing

2010-08-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

School starts back officially tomorrow!!! I am super excited I have missed my students this summer. I of course enjoyed relaxing and getting to sleep in and play with Maddi, but I missed going to school and seeing the students and getting to be a part of their lives.

My students are amazing even on the days that they are full of drama and crazyness they are still just wonderful. They keep me on my toes and I miss them when I don't get to see them. I am excited to impact their lives even if it's just in a small way.

This school year is going to be great I already know that it is and that is a wonderful feeling. I love my job, which means it's not really "work" for me.

Other parts of my life are amazing too. My daughter started preschool last Monday and she loves it. I was slightly worried about whether or not she would, and she does so I am excited.

Of course after dropping her off that first day I did have to cry a little because my baby is growing up, but I am glad I can give her this opportunity to get a head start and be ready for "real" school next year.

The other absolutely amazing part of my life right now is my wonderful boyfriend. He is the best thing that I could have in my life. I love him and his family and friends.

We were able to spend the weekend together and I had an amazing time. Thursday night we went to his soccer game and then for drinks with his team afterwards and had a blast.

Friday night we went out with my cousin and his brother (they are getting married and are the ones who set us up) we had dinner as Mi Cocina and then to Hyenas Comedy club in Dallas. It was a great night of laughs and fun with people we care about. :)

Saturday we slept in until about 3 then we went bowling with his other brother and his wife and daughter and a friend of theirs. We had fun there too. Afterwards he got ready for work and his best friend's fiancé texted me to see if I wanted to come hang out with them at his brother's house and play games.

I went and played games with them until the wee hours of the morning and had a blast then fell asleep and was woken up by his niece this morning (she's 5) and talked with her until Michael came in from work. He played with her for a little bit when he got in and then I cuddled up with him and slept for a while longer.

His brother and wife made pancakes for breakfast and then we watched some tv for a little while before it was time for me to leave to go pick up Maddison from her dad's house.

I am just so happy right now and feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have an amazing daughter, and amazing boyfriend, amazing friends, and an amazing job. :)

A new feeling

2010-08-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

The very first time I saw you,

I liked what I saw.
It took me by complete surprise.
I didn't think I wanted to be with anyone at all.

And then it was suggested,
for me to give you a chance.
At first I wasn't sure what to do,
But decided to take a second glance.

After talking that first night,
I knew there was something different about you.
I realized you made me feel special,
But the feeling I felt was new.

As time goes on the feelings continue to grow.
From a hug, I don't want to let go.
I feel that I can talk to you about everything,
And that feeling is good to know.

For you, I want all things.
You are on my mind all day.
The thought of sleeping is nowhere near,
And with that I am okay.

News from my life

2010-08-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

So I've been talking to the most amazing guy for a couple of days now. He is the brother of my cousin's fiancé, and she decided that we might be good for each other....and so far i think she's right.

We texted back and forth Tuesday night for abo

ut 9 hours....and it was amazing....he seems perfect....I have never clicked so well with someone in my life.

It's wonderful to be able to talk to someone like i can talk to him. He makes me smile just talking to him or thinking about him.

I feel good when i'm talking to him or texting him

or when I'm with him. It's a new feeling, but I like it a lot.

It's so easy to be with him...i don't have to work at anything....i feel like I can say anything to him and I like that.

Wednesday night I went over to his house and he made me spaghetti and garlic bread and strawberry cake and bought me beautiful flowers (pictured below) and we just sat around talking for about 9 hours and it was just amazing. :)

Today we've been texting back and forth and except for the fact that my phone service was being stupid and not sending my texts to him when I sent them (some took hours to go through) grrrrrr.

It's now 4 am and we're talking on the phone and laughing it's so much fun!!! Ok I am going to wrap this up now and get back to giving him my full attention. :)

2010-08-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

I cooked all day today for my grandma's 75th birthday. It was a lot of fun! I made black bean and chick pea salad, garlic bread, primevera potato salad, chicken kabobs, home made salsa, and spinach dip. I made brownies for dessert, but didn't take a picture of them.

Everything turned out great and we had fun seeing everyone who came by except my sister's husband, but I just ignored him and pretended he wasn't there.

My newest reading adventure

2010-07-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

So I stopped by Half Priced Books today to pick up some magazines to take to a yearbook workshop thing next week for my students and just had to go check out the clearance section as always. I found a book called Why Do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg. The subtitle is Hundreds of Questions you'd only ask a doctor after your third martini. So I just had to get it. Plus it was only $1.

Now that I am reading through it I am kind of glad I picked it up. Not only is it funny, but it has the answers to some questions I have thought about before. It's also super easy to read for people like me who like to read short amounts at a time. It has a table of contents in the front that can help with skipping around and just reading what you want to know about, but I actually have been reading quite a few of the different question/answer scenarios and they are cracking me up.

The writers seem to be very knowledgeable one is even a doctor, but they put a funny spin on a lot of it even giving a few "true stories."

There is even a section in this book called All You (N)ever Wanted To Know About Sex....talk

about fun and funny I think this may be my favorite section with questions like:

Is sperm nutritious or fattening?

Do oysters really make you horny?

What causes shrinkage?

and many other fun and interesting questions.

I am loving this book and will definitely be keeping it, but I will also have to keep it out of my daughter's reach until she is way older, because I don't want to have to answer questions about these questions.

Fashionista

2010-07-18T11:31:00.001-07:00

Since the beginning of time, fashion has been an innate part of the human life. As years went on, leaves turned into cloth,

and people began to focus more and more on the actual appearance of clothing.

Today, every person has his or her own individual style, even if that means a simple white cotton t-shirt and jeans; it is still style. Not a style I personally like, but it might be someone's favorite.

We have all grown to believe that our style is the “best” style; however, many people do not know that there is not one specific style to follow. I'm not usually a big follower of the most "current" fashions, but I do consider myself fashionable, most of the time anyways.

Fashion should be a part of your life that makes you unique. No matter if you wear a Hanes cotton t-shirt or an Oscar de la Renta dress, you still have style. Your style may not exactly define you, but it helps to complete your overall personality.

I am definitely no expert on style, but I will give you some of my knowledge on the subject.

If you feel comfortable with the way you dress (even if that means wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt every day), then you should not try to change your style. Dress the way that makes you feel happy. If you feel that you want to dress your style up a little more but you don’t want to change the way you look completely or spend a lot of money, use some of these tips in your styling process:

Being “fashionable” is an opinion, not a price. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars in order to dress nicely. You can usually find accessories for pretty cheap if you look. Some of my favorite pieces cost me less than $1.

Find clothes that flatter you: for example, a shirt that brings out the color of your eyes. Clothes should bring out the features that make you feel best about yourself.

If you’re looking to change your style, start at stores that have big selections so you can get a feel for the abundance of styles out there.

Fashion changes rapidly. One day you may see something at a store that you love, and the next day it may be gone, so keep an open mind when shopping.

Most importantly, wear what you love. Don’t let anyone else tell you that your style is bad. Remember, there is no such thing as “bad style.” Well actually there is, but I'm not gonna judge you too much.

Style trends are continuing to change day by day, but stick to the style that makes you the happiest. Face it, you’re the one that has to wear the clothes that you pick out, and your opinion is the only one that matters.

hmmmm

2010-07-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Having Maddison this weekend has been a blast. I love my baby girl. We have played, went to the movies to see Marmaduke, played some more, she styled my hair (a little scary), and just overall had a great time. We're having a "slumber party" tonight this should be interesting. I am so not going to be ready to take her back to her dad's house tomorrow. Two more weeks :( at his house. We do get to go to the circus when she comes back though so that'll be fun!!!

In other news my best friend is probably moving back "home" to Green Bay in about a month and I am so not looking forward to it. I am going to miss her sooooo much. There are not words to describe this girl...she just rocks!!!! Gonna have to have a lot of fun before she leaves and take tons of pictures. Here's one of us and Butch from thursday night!!

the Everything Decade

2010-07-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, Pluto was still a planet. iPods didn’t exist — neither did Macbooks or Tivo or Blu-ray. Clinton was president and I still thought I'd be married by 25. As I’ve been getting less and less sleep over the past 10 years, so much else has changed. I should not really be surprised about it — decades have always marked massive changes in society. Women destined to be housewives in the early sixties were burning their bras by the early seventies, and those getting down during the disco era scoffed at the eighties’ synthesizer sounds.
Clothes, tunes and topics of debate are what decades are remembered for — the sixties were swinging, the eighties was the ‘me’ decade. But what does current popular and political culture say about the decade we are living in right now?

One of the most obvious emblems of a decade are the fashions. From the poodle skirts of the fifties to the bohemian garb of the sixties hippies to the platform shoes of the sevnties and the hot mess that was fashion in the eighties, every decade had a distinct style that will never be forgotten.

To the keen modern eye, practically all of these fashion trends look absolutely ridiculous, but based on some of the fashion from this decade, we should not be the ones to judge. Just think about those Kanye West-style glasses that you cannot even see through, or anything you ever saw in a Lady Gaga music video. Ten years from now, we’re going to look back and marvel at how we could ever think wearing leggings as pants was a good look.

Music is another key trademark of a decade. Each decade has a specific genre that it revived or created; the seventies had disco, the eighties had synth-pop, the nineties had punk and alternative rock bands like Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows. Of course, people back then didn’t listen to only one genre.

The current decade’s musical style is even harder to define: with the advent of Itunes and digital music, people can listen to whatever they want through cheap and easily-stored sound files. Much of the new music released today seems to be a reworking of an old idea; The Jonas Brothers are a nineties-style boy band, The Killers sometimes sound straight out of the eighties dance scene and everything from garage rock to jazz has had some kind of revival or offshoot. This easy access to a plethora of music makes this decade the first in which anyone can be their own private DJ; with one mp3 player, you can listen to any of a thousand songs, or even ten thousand songs, whenever you want.

But while clothes and music define culturally what makes each decade different, there’s another, more political aspect — the hot topics that people lock horns over and fight to change. In the sixties, it was civil rights and Vietnam; in the seventies, it was Watergate and feminism. Today, it is global warming, health care and gay marriage. Each decade has major issues or crises that shape it and change the way people think.

Right now, we may feel that the planet has more problems than ever before and that we will be superheroes if we survive them, but that is exactly how baby boomers felt about the Cuban missile crisis, or how our great-grandparents felt about the Great Depression. Just watch: in 10 years the news will be covering the latest political battle over lunar real estate and the rights of cloned babies and what we are going through right now is going to look like a walk in the park.

So when we look back on this decade, the first decade of the new millennium, what are we going to remember? Some big events, like Sept. 11 and Obama’s election, will be universally remembered as milestones. But there is no one band that can be associated with this decade, no particular accessory that we’ll all regret wearing, no two news stations that broke a story the same way. So maybe, for the first time in history, a decade will not be remembered for anything specific; instead, this will be a time of transition when people could listen to, wear, and, in most cases, be whatever they wanted. This is the “Everything” decade, and one day, we will be able to sit in our hover-chairs, reminisce, and smile.

agree?

July 9, 2010

2010-07-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so this is my new blog. I am not leaving my movie blog, but needed something more for my ramblings that aren't about movies.

This is my life unscripted. Just me vs the world. I've got allies and enemies. Those who count on me and those I count on.

This month is a tough month. My sweet little angel is with her dad for the month of July and I miss her so much. It's even harder this year than it was last year. I am making it and counting down the days till she comes home. I've got amazing friends who are trying their best to keep me busy and keep my mind in a good place and I love them for that. My grandparents miss her like crazy when she's gone too. She is the ruler at our house and keeps everyone busy so with her gone things are much slower and kind of depressing. Last year I didn't spend much time at home while she was gone and I think that helped, but I'm doing ok.

I love being a teacher and having summers off to recuperate from the school year, but sometimes it's hard to fill my days and stay busy. I watch a lot of tv and play a lot of games on facebook, but those things can get boring. It doesn't help that my ability to sleep is awful. I mean I can sleep just not at night like normal people. I am usually up until at least 4am and then want to sleep all day.... fun stuff!!!

i guess I've rambled enough for today....I'll be back soon with more