Wordless Wednesday! Goat!

*This is Orangie(who is apparently not remotely afraid of goats!) on her field trip to the African Lion Safari last week*

(It was my first time tagging along as a volunteer, and holy moley was it an EXPERIENCE! lol. Crazy bunch of Gr 1'ers and on a school bus with them for over an hour..need i say more?! It was fun, i admit.)

Lipton/Pandora Winner!

Thanks to all who entered! but only ONE could win!

Random.org said:

Soooo, the winner is:

Lesley has been emailed and confirmed as the winner. CONGRATULATIONS!

our new baby!

So the posting may be short and sweet for the next little bit until we become accustomed to life with this little guy!

* Finn *

(born Mar 31, 2011)

Westie-poo

Wordless Wednesday - Fathers Day

Mr.OHM's first fathers day! We love you!

Witch of Babylon (review)

About the book:
John Madison is reeling from the death of his brother, but he soon finds out that he’s left quite the legacy. An art dealer, John is caught up in a deadly puzzle–he must locate a lost treasure before an unknown enemy defeats him. Alchemy and the Mesopotamian cult of Istar, as well as the looting of the Baghdad Museum, are just some of the elements in this fast paced thriller that spans both ancient history, and modern day.

Comparisons:
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Amber Room by Steve Berry

About the author:
D.J. (Dorothy) McIntosh is a Toronto based writer of novels and short mystery fiction. She is a member of the Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies and a strong supporter of the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders. The Witch of Babylon won the 2008 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished Crime Novel.
 
* This book sounded like the perfect read for Mr. OHM, so I handed the reigns over to him for this one!*

Here are his thoughts:
"I was pleasantly surprised when i read Witch of Babylon by DJ McIntosh. Reading her book reminded me of the mystery stories that I love, such as Indiana Jones or National Treasure. It was the sense of adventure, danger, puzzles that needed to be solved and characters that ranged from good to pure evil that kept me going page after page despite time ticking by in reality. The main character, John Madison, is an every mans hero who has his flaws, which makes him easy to relate to and experience the journey along side him. I also found the history in the book to be in depth enough for the story but not too much as to distract from the action. I look forward to reading another of McIntosh's book with a child-like sense of curiousity of what she will do next."
 
Penguin Group Canada is calling this one their Big Summer Read! So make sure to check out the Witch of Babylon website! and author JD McIntosh on Twitter and Facebook!
 
 
*Thanks so much to Penguin Canada for giving us the chance to review this great book! We received this book for free in exchange for our honest review!*

trip to the foodbank

This morning i had a GREAT time taking the girls to volunteer at the foodbank with a group from an online mommy forum i've been part of since '07!

The girls did an amazing job, and were sad that the 2 hours went by so quickly(they were having so much fun helping!).

Go Helicopter Mom!!

So i have NEVER done a blog entry before just to try to win a contest..so you have to realize that i really want to win this! :)

One of the blogs that i love to read has been chosen as a finalist in the Lovable Labels BlogHer Contest!! (so awesome!!) And IF she wins then i get the opportunity to win also and go to SanDiego to go attend BlogHer with her!! SWEET! (the prize is worth $1750!)

Want to help me help her win? Go HERE and vote for 'Mickey Coutts'!

HERE is Helicoptor Mom's post regarding the contest!

and HERE is another contest she's running where you can win up to $130 for voting for her! woot!

Thanks so much!

Rhubarb Success!

(this post is for you Leah!)

So I wrote last week that I went and got some rhubarb off my mom and i was going to make 'something' with it, and that i would get these non-rhubarb lovin' people here to try it and like it!

I went with a Rhubarb Break recipe that can be found HERE. (i did alter the recipe some to make it more healthy...i used 1/2 whole wheat flour, 1/2 the oil was substituted with unsweetened applesauce, and i left out the walnuts so the girls could take it to school..i also left off the buttery-sugary topping..and when it was baked i sprinkled a BIT of cinn-sugar on top) OH! and i also decided to bake it in a bundt pan instead of 2 loaves.

AND?? EVERYONE liked it! Rhubarb cake for the WIN! :)

(and now my moms neighbour has donated some rhubarb to my cause, so another recipe will be coming up in the near future!)

a pick me up

This was taken yesterday at the beach..Mr.OHM decided that maybe what i needed was some fresh air and sunshine to make me feel better! (it was REALLY nice, but unfortunately didn't work)

(it's been a long 4 days..brutal LONG -over 16 hr migraine was there when i woke up sunday morn, and it's been nausea and headaches since! I slept a full 13 hours last night and then had a 2 hr nap this aft)

I would REALLY REALLY like this sick to go away ANYTIME now please!!

Tiggerific Tuesday co-host!

Welcome to Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce!

Link up, meet new friends, network with other bloggers, and have fun!

<a href="http://www.magicalmouseschoolhouse.com/search/label/Tiggerific Tuesday"><img alt="Magical Mouse Schoolhouse" width="120" height="120" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2KB5zlqCxKw/TdG9cFmAqnI/AAAAAAAABSk/wbb9LodWr9c/s200/Tiggerific+Tuesday+no+border.jpg" /></a>

Our Requests:
1. Follow the Host (Magical Mouse Schoolhouse) and the Guest Host (Home of OHM) on GFC, Networked Blogs, Twitter or Facebook. (We will follow back!) Leave a comment below to let us know.

2. Follow as many people as you can and be sure to let them know that you are from "Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce."

3. You are not required to, but we'd greatly appreciate it if you could grab our button and write a post about this hop and/or display the button on your sidebar. Hops are only fun if bloggers know about them, so please help spread the word!

4. Every week I will pick someone to Guest Host the hop with me. If you would like to be considered for the Guest Host position, leave a comment under this post to let me know you're interested and  follow us on GFC.

get the InLinkz code

migraine vs recital

It's not been a great day at all for me. I've spent most of it in bed or on the couch trying to sleep off a killer migraine(it's still not gone, it's been 16 hrs now..ugh)
I did make it out for Hero's piano recital though..here she is!

Blurt!

It's been a REALLY long day, and frankly i am just gonna blurt all this out and go to SLEEP. Bear with me!

It's been one of those days! Some good, some bad, all around tiring!

The girls had their end of the year bowling fun day, and Hero for the THIRD year now has taken the top award for girls in her division!! Won a small scholarship to add to her growing envelope, and won another award for being on a team that placed first in one of their tournaments! SWEET! Orangie also brought home a pretty cute little bowling trophy for participating! (they don't give out anything else in her age group but those, and a nice $20 gift card for Toys R Us!). So she was also pretty darn happy! :)

I went to visit my mom today, and if you've been around here long enough, you'll know that isn't a good/fun/healthy thing...but I did get some rhubarb from her garden so that was nice!

Speaking of said rhubarb, apparently no one eats it in this house but me, but frankly i'm gonna make something nice out of it tomorrow(coffee cake or muffins maybe?) and they're gonna at least try it, or else!! lol.

And for my frustrating bit..tomorrow the girls have their piano recital..so when gathering up their outfits for tomorrow, i realized that Hero really didn't have anything dressy for the occasion. I am constantly trying to encourage the girl to wear slightly girlier clothing..she is 10 and has a love for black/navy/and army green..and the more skater/boyish the better...she does have some nice aeropostale shirts, and a couple funny shirts(like this one shirt has toast on it and says 'oh burn!') but then she'll go and throw it with boyish kneelength plaid shorts and dirty boyish skater shoes...i swear i'm losing my mind..ok stop ranting i know..
so we settled on some i guess dressy black plaid capris and a black polo and friggin black flipflops, because she has those or skater shoes or runners and well at least they're new..oy!! i may have sprouted 5 new greys tonight!!

Anywho..i'm just gonna post a pic of the girls..we went to a new fro-yo place in town tonight, and it was SUPER YUM!(sorry for the pic quality)

anywho..Night all!

Sundae Hop co-host!

get the InLinkz code

Saturday Stalk co-host!

Welcome to Saturday Stalk - REMIX! We are now blog hopping for the whole weekend! Join Just Married with Coupons AND Debbie Does Coupons & YOU! We will pick a featured guest each week to hop along with us to keep it fun and fresh. We will randomly pick a new participant each week. **New** If you would like to be a featured guest for Saturday Stalk, please fill out this FORM. Make sure you look out for our e-mail with "Saturday Stalk Featured Guest" in the title!

<a border="0" href="http://www.justmarriedwithcoupons.com/category/saturday-stalk-for-savings-blog-hop" _mce_href="http://www.justmarriedwithcoupons.com/category/saturday-stalk-for-savings-blog-hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.justmarriedwithcoupons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Saturday-Stalk-Remix-Button1.png" _mce_src="http://www.justmarriedwithcoupons.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Saturday-Stalk-Remix-Button1.png" alt="Saturday Stalk Remix" /></a>

This week's featured guest is: Home of OHM

 

Thanks for those who have been participating from week to week and a big welcome to you if this is your first time. We are so glad you are here! This blog hop is all about having fun, meeting new bloggers and building new readership!

Blog Hop Rules

1. Please follow us: Just Married with Coupons AND Debbie Does Coupons then we WILL FOLLOW YOU BACK.
2. Copy the Saturday Stalk into a blog post.
3. Come back and post the direct link to your blog post here into the link forms below.
4. Follow as many participants as you would like, leave them a comment letting them know you're are following them.
5. Follow back anyone that is now following you and leave them a comment back letting them know you're following back through this event
6. Please follow the rules or we will have to delete you from the list =(

BLOG LINKS:

Field of Vision - Family Movie Night

"Field of Vision" is an uplifting movie that addresses bullying in schools and the importance of standing up in the face of adversity. Nearly three-quarters of Americans consider bullying harassment a serious problem and more than 45% of students admitted to having been bullied in school. This movie provides a great opportunity for families to spend time together in watching and discussing the issue of bullying from a biblical world view.


Star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, learns that some of his teammates have been bullying a troubled new transfer student. Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost them the state championship, Tyler must choose what's more important: winning or doing what's right. Starring Faith Ford, Tony Oller and Joe Adler this movie airs on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 8/7c on NBC.

My Thoughts:
I have to admit that this was my first time watching a 'Family Movie Night' movie, so I invited a friend over to check it out with me. I was instantly impressed by how family friendly it was. I am a big stickler for movie ratings and what is exposed to my children, but this was very inspirational and had an 'after school special' feel to it. I definitely want to watch it again, but with my 10 year old daughter, because i know that it'll give us a chance to have a 'heart to heart' about bullying and the 'important things in life'. BUT I'll have to pvr it for us to watch later as I think 8pm is a bit late for a start time on a FAMILY movie(her bedtime IS 8pm). Now I just need to find some of the previously aired movies to watch! I had no idea how great they were!

Check out the Trailer:


"Field of Vision" FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT Links:
Family Movie Night Website
Family Movie Night on Facebook
Mom's for Family TV
Dove Foundation Review

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

and it's caught up with me..

The approximate 3 hours of sleep during a stormy monday night, and the 4 hours sleep that i got last night have finally caught up with me!
It's 10:45 and i am GOING TO BED. I'm praying that i get a truly recharging night of sleep! Please send all the good night sleep vibes that you can this way please! My girls come back from their dads house tomorrow and i'd sure hate to be a grumpy beast!

And while you're here, don't forget to enter the Lipton Iced Tea/Pandora ONE giveaway that i have going on HERE.
(open to US only, ends 6/24)

Blog Tour: My Foolish Heart (review)

About the book:

Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Read an excerpt from the book HERE!

About Susan:

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of http://www.mybooktherapy.com/, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found HERE.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit that i had never read a Susan May Warren book until this one! When i received the opportunity email for this I was quite excited. It sounded exactly like my kind of book! I do love to escape with realistic romance novels(the kind that DON'T have bodices and brawn splashed across the front!).
This book certainly didn't dissappoint either! It was a wonderfully charming read that I couldn't seem to put down! It's 354 pages were easily breezed through in 3 days! Susan certainly has a way with words, and i'm eager to check out what else she has written!
(if any of my local ladies want to take a peek at this book just let me know! it's a fantastic summer read!)

Click here to buy the book on Amazon!


Now on to the Giveaway and Party!

Win a Romantic Night on the Town from Miss Foolish Heart!

Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest Deep Haven book, My Foolish Heart!

Read what the reviewers are saying here.

To celebrate this charming novel about a dating expert who's never had a date, Susan has put together a romantic night on the town for one lucky couple. One grand prize winner will receive a Miss Foolish Heart prize package worth over $200!

The winner of the Romantic Night on the Town Prize Pack will receive:

* A $100 Visa Gift Card (For Dinner)

* A $100 Gift Certificate to a Hyatt/Marriott Hotel

* The entire Deep Haven series

To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 16th. The winner will be announced that evening during Susan’s Miss Foolish Heart Party on Facebook! Susan will be chatting with guests, hosting a book club chat about My Foolish Heart, testing your Deep Haven trivia skills, and giving away tons of great stuff! (Gift certificates, books, donuts, and more!) Don't miss the fun and BRING YOUR FRIENDS! 

I received this book free from Tyndale and Litfuse Publicity Group as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

wordless wednesday 2:18am

*ok, it's not so wordless this time, but i kept it short! lol*

Why am i still up at 2:18 am?!
It has to do with me being the biggest chicken in the world, and i HATE having to stay in the house alone(luckily this doesn't happen to often!). I swear i'm afraid of my own shadow.
I hate to take a shower if i'm here alone. I DON'T go in the basement if i'm here alone. etc etc etc.
Irrational fears? More than likely. But it's just who i am.
I'll be awake here until i get so unbearably sleepy that i pretty much pass out.

Is there anyone else out there like this?

**edited to add: well i am finally turning out the light and it is...3:35am. Tomorrow will obviously require the IV drip of coffee - sigh**

Lipton Natural Iced Tea (R&G)

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED!***

Recently I was offered the opportunity to review the new Lipton 100% Natural Iced Tea. I jumped at the chance because it's no secret that i am obsessed with tea!

Here's the gorgeous package that arrived at my door! Love the whole natural beachy feel it has! It really goes with the 100% natural line that they've created!

Included was 6 full sized bottles of the new line of iced teas. 4 bottles of the 100% natural iced teas, and 2 bottles of the diet iced teas.

* Iced Tea with Blueberry Pomegranate
* Iced Tea with Lemon
* Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango
* Green Tea with Citrus

* Diet Green Tea with Watermelon

* Diet Green Tea with Citrus

Details:

Lipton 100% Natural Iced Teas have 50-70 calories per serving, depending on the flavour. Lipton Diet Green Teas have 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar. They are widely available in 20-ounce bottles, retailing from $0.99-$1.59(approximate).

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVED the 4 bottles of Natural Iced Teas. The weather here lately has been rather HOT and HUMID(2 days in there felt like 105F!!)so I was really glad that I had them stocked in my fridge! I found them flavourful and refreshing, and i'm rather sad that i've now run out! I think that my favourite had to be The Green Tea with Passionfruit Mango. It was just such a nice fruity combo! My second choice would have to be the Green Tea with Citrus!

I was unable to try out the Diet Iced Teas because they contained Sucralose which is a big headache trigger for me, so I got Mr.OHM to test them for me. He immediately grabbed the Diet Green Tea with Watermelon, but as much as he liked the flavour he said it tasted too much like a 'diet' drink and had that artificial aftertaste. It just wasn't for us.

For more information check out the Lipton website, or on Facebook or Twitter!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Gen-Yknot on behalf of Lipton and received Lipton product samples and a subscription to Pandora One to facilitate my candid review. Gen-Yknot also sent me a promotional item to thank me for my time.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

**GIVEAWAY CLOSED!**

ONE lucky reader will win! I have 2 freebie coupons, so you can try out the new teas for yourself! And since Lipton wants you to 'experience the natural side of music' I also have a certificate for a one-year free subscription for Pandora ONE!

This giveaway is only open to U.S readers. (sorry fellow Canadians that is why i am doing the giveaway - they're not valid here).

Contest ends Friday June 24, 2011 at 8pm EST.
Winner will be chosen via random.org.
I will contact the winner via email, they have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry:
You must follow me with GFC! and tell me what flavour you want to try!
*please leave your email address in your comment unless it's linked in your profile*

Additional Entries:

(+1) 'like' me on Facebook!(leave your first name and initial)

(+1) Follow me on Twitter!

(+1) tweet about the giveaway(2x/day-at least 2 hrs apart)!(please leave the link in a comment)

(+3) Post my button on your blog!(1 comment per entry)

Hiking at Rondeau!

Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the fantastic weather, and get out for a family fun day! So we packed up and headed out to Rondeau Provincial Park for some hiking and exploring and a picnic!
The hiking was a bit of a mess, we only did 1.5 km, but it was insane. There were SOOOOOO many mosquitos!! We had on a ton of bugspray, and it helped but they were just EVERYWHERE!! (i may or may not have a wonderful bite on that part where your tush meets your thigh! really?!)
But we managed to get some GREAT pics of the local wildlife..enjoy!

Judy Moody Rocks!

Yesterday the girls and I got to go and check out the pre-screen of the new Judy Moody flick "Judy Moody and the Not So Bummer Summer". Thankyou so much awesome librarian at LPL for giving us the tickets!(oh! and by the way, Judy Moody is an awesome book character from Megan McDonald...the girls LOVE her books!)
We had an AWESOME time! It was such a crazy fun movie, and perfect to get us all excited for the upcoming summer break! (eek!)
Here are a couple shots:

~this was the crowd that had gathered 1/2 hour before showtime!

~and this is a shot of my girls holding their tickets!

And here is the trailer for the movie! 2 thumbs up! Go see it!(it comes out this Fri June 10!) :)

Great day, but DOH!

Imagine a pic here of woman who looks ridiculous because her forehead is bright red with a sunburn! duh!

That's me. and really i have no idea how the heck i even did it. I mean who burns just they're FOREHEAD?!

Today the girls had a school picnic over the lunch hour at their school. VERY cool fundraiser idea! It was CRAZY BUSY and just a wonderful idea.
Everyone was just so darn friendly! I shared my big blanket with a family who had a kid in both my girls classes, and Orangie shared her blanket with her friend 'S' and her dad. Even though i didn't have the sun in my face over lunch it must have caught up with me while watching Orangie skip, or meeting Hero's friends, etc..

Then after school we decided to head off to the nearby library for our weekly visit. While we were there, one of the librarians was *rather quietly* going around looking for young girls to give pre-screen passes to the new Judy Moody movie to! AWESOME! My girls and I are VERY much looking forward to checking that out Saturday morning!!

And now I shall call it a night, and head off to bed, but slathering my forehead with aloe before i do...even my bloody eyebrows are itchy!! *groan*

Mommy Reporter for Day out with Thomas 2011!

Just wanted to let you know that I have been selected to be a Mommy Reporter for the Day Out with Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 event when Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends pulls into the Elgin Country Railway Museum on Friday July 22nd, 2011.
(Note to readers in the area that Thomas will be in St.Thomas,Ontario July 15-17, and July 22-24, and there are MANY timeslots to choose from! Would love to see you there!)

Pulling out of the station for its 16th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada. Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite No. 1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts. Each year the tour grows, traveling to new destinations, adding new activities and welcoming new visitors.

For more information about the tour take a look at Day Out with Thomas Schedule! Thomas the Tank Engine will also be sharing photos, tweets and reports through his Twitter feed-- @trueblueengine.

Day Out with Thomas: Trackable Fun Facts

*The Day Out With Thomas 2011: Leader of the Track Tour offers aspiring engineers and their families the opportunity take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine™ at their regional heritage railroad

*Day Out With Thomas launched in the United States in 1996 and is now in its second decade of engineering miles of smiles at every stop

*The Day Out With Thomas 2011: Leader of the Track Tour has more than 264 event days scheduled and will make more than 50 stops at 45 heritage railroads in North America

*Thomas the Tank Engine tracked nearly 15,000 miles last year at Day Out With Thomas events, approximately 2.5 roundtrips across the country

*More than 1 million passengers are expected to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine at Day Out With Thomas 2011: Leader of the Track Tour events

*More than 75,000 aspiring engineers took their very first train ride ever at Day Out With Thomas events in 2010

*Thomas the Tank Engine's whistle blew 6,450 times at Day Out With Thomas events last year.... Peep! Peep!

*Sir Topham Hatt has directed Thomas the Tank Engine into 350 stations around the United States and Canada since Day Out With Thomas launched in 1996

*Conductors have bellowed 87,865 "All Aboard!" calls to Island of Sodor friends at Day Out With Thomas

*Now in its 16th year in the US, Day Out With Thomas has welcomed more than 10.5 million passengers in its history

500

yuppers! another milestone HIT!

So who was the 500th follower? It was Sarah from My Virtual Life!

Thankyou so much Sarah, and all my other lovely followers!

Muah! <3