Wordless Wednesday..Do ya really wanna know?

So you really want to know what my handsome husband is running through?

huh?

It might gross ya out if I tell ya...

OK

Ok

ok

you're gonna drag it out of me anyway, so I'll tell ya!

Brine Flies

I warned you!

So a month or so ago we went out to a State Park out at The Great Salt Lake and decided we wanted to trek out to the lake...then we discovered that the part we trekked to was NOT the best location... All over the beach were swarms of brine flies. They were really interesting though..when you ran through them they looked like clouds moving away from you, all flying together in an organized fashion. It was beautiful and disgusting at the same time!

Check out more Wordless Wednesday Posts by going here (sorry, I can't seem to get thier site to load this morning, but this is the right link when it is working properly)

Candy Savings Just in Time for Halloween

Head to Nestle Family Celebrations and you can print coupons for $1 off a bag of Nestle candy (11.5 oz or larger) and another for $1 off any Wonka Candy (11.5 oz or larger). This is a great coupon to help with the Halloween Candy budget. I don't know about you, but we go through a lot of candy every year!

Here's what you need to do:

-Head to Nestle Family Celebrations

-Register for free

-Click on the image on the side bar that looks like the one shown here

-Click on "select all" and click "print coupons"

-you may need to download their coupon printer if you haven't used one before, you will be prompted if this is necessary.

-don't forget to click the back button and print again, as each person can print twice!

I received no compensation for this post, monetary or otherwise.

Tell Me A Story Tuesday...The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR

This weeks Tell Me a Story Tuesday is a book that is, sadly, no longer in our family library; not because it is no longer loved, but quite the opposite. Back when my oldest child was a toddler, we purchased a super sized version of this adorable story at Sam's Club. When I say super sized, I mean super sized...about 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide. I can't tell you how many evenings this story was our bedtime story of choice, and not just because of its unusual size. But unfortunately this book was so well loved that is simply fell apart (helped along by #4, who is quite destructive, who decided that it was very fun to tear out the pages).

This story follows a cute little mouse who just wants to eat this big, juice strawberry. The narrator warns the little mouse that a Big Hungry Bear who LOVES red ripe strawberries, will be arriving soon to steal the juicy fruit. Mouse tries many ways to protect his treasure. Will the big hungry bear get the strawberry, or will mouse find the secret to protecting his treat?

Find out when you get your copy of The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear (unfortunately, you will have to purchase a normal sized version of this book, as I have been unsuccessful in finding the supersized one). Available at Amazon.com

I recieved no compensation for this review monetary or otherwise. However, I am an Amazon associate, and any purchases made through links will result in compensation. The opinion stated is completly honest and my own.

A Super Cute Halloween Printable!

I know, I know, I said that you wouldn't be seeing me much this week, but in my blog stalking I found a link to this adorable printable (Thanks for Sharing Linda @ My Trendy Tikes). It is posted here at babalisme. Seriously, could this be any cuter? And if you have a little boy who wants to play too, she has made a boy version too! Have fun!

The flu has invaded our home!

I knew it was coming...reports of sightings in surrounding towns were coming in daily...then one day it happened. It started with a cough, followed by a fever and I knew...the dreaded, much talked about flu had found its way into the walls of my home.

It started a week ago with my oldest son. As he started to show signs of being on the mend, my daughter spiked a fever of 103. Today I am feeling the tightness in my chest and headache that seems to accompany this infiltrator. Hopefully he will be finished with us soon and move on. Anyone want to take this visitor off of our hands?

You may see a lull in posts this week as I wage war against the flu, but please do not loose heart...We will win and you will be back to reading my inspiring posts soon :). Tell Me A Story Tuesday will appear as planned, but other, unscheduled posts may be a bit scarce.

Amazing deal at IKEA!

Remember this post about my love of IKEA? Well my love affair with this mega store continues! Why, do you ask? Well, I'll tell you! From now through October 25, 2009 kids under 12 eat FREE in the IKEA Restaurant! And the best part: no adult meal purchase is required (but seriously, can YOU resist a steaming plate of meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce?)!

Each child gets to pick three child sized menu items which include: meatballs, mashed potatoes, PB&J, yogurt, cookies, soda, milk, veggies and MORE!

This deal is NOT available at IKEA Hicksville, IKEA Houston and IKEA Direct, but appears to be available at all other US IKEA locations. Please check for availability by checking the IKEA site for your local store.

Last night we made the trek our local IKEA (it takes us about an hour to get there) on a mission to find birthday gifts for #5 (see yesterday's post). He is child number five, so finding gifts for him that we don't already have, or won't make a disaster of the house, is a daunting task. But this kid likes having his own kid sized chair, so my mom picked up one of these cuties for him:

He is gonna love it! My sister also picked up a super cute rocking toy that we could hardly peel him from to get him in his car seat!

After deciding on birthday gifts, we hit the restaurant for our free kids meals (and YES, I got a plate of meatballs too!). Hurry, get to your local IKEA before this deal is over!

This is not a sponsored post. Just sharing a great deal!

My Baby is 2 today!

Two years ago today my baby (#5) made his way into the world. After a week of hospital bedrest and still six weeks early, he was too anxious to join our family to wait any longer. And now, he is a rambunctious, typical two year old (albiet a bit on the tiny side)! I can't beleive that my baby days are behind me. We are definitely leaving the baby days behind us and moving on...to toddlers and preschoolers and grade schoolers...it is a whole new world. Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

I LOVE Bounce Dryer Bars!

Growing up we never used dryer sheets. Living in California, the weather was not what you would call humid but not so dry that static cling was a major problem. Everything change when we moved to Utah. The dry, desert climate brings with it a great deal of static. (It is kinda fun when you turn out the lights and wiggle in your blankets...you see LOTS of sparks!). This meant an addition to my laundry regimen, namely dryer sheets. While I love the results, the littering of my laundry room floor of little white sheets gets old quickly. They always seem to fall out as I am grabbing the clothes from the dryer, landing on the floor right infront. I usually grab them and get them to the trash, but there are times when they fall and I don't notice.

Then, along came the Bounce Dryer Bar. The solution to my laundry room mess! I purchased my first bar last month using a coupon I recieved from Vocalpoint. It was super simple to install, just peel and stick (making sure you install on the rotating drum) and you are done! Months (for the normal family...for our family of seven the two month bar is just about gone within one month, but that is about what I expected) of static free, soft fabric!

The 2-month bar is just a little more than your average box of name brand dryer sheets, and if you can find coupons, you can get these for a very reasonable price at your local grocery store or Super Center.

For more information about the Bounce Dryer Bar, you can watch videos with instructions on installation and answers to other frequently asked questions at bounceeverywhere.com.

I recieved no compensation for this post. I did recieve a discount coupon as a member of Vocalpoint, but was under no obligation to post in exchange for the coupon. I simply enjoyed my Bounce Dryer Bar and wanted to share this great product with you!

Tell Me a Story Tuesday! How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?

Starting today I am adding a new weekly feature! Each Tuesday I will be sharing some of our favorite bedtime stories with you! From board books to young reader novels, I will be sharing fun, entertaining books for all ages! Please join me each Tuesday as I share Tell Me a Story Tuesday with you.

This week I am sharing our bedtime story from last night (and honestly, many nights). With four boys (ages two to almost eight) dinosaurs are a huge hit in our house. The How Do Dinosaurs books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague are perfect for my dino-crazy boys! This one in particular is great for boys who are learning to count. These lovable (seriously, how can you be afraid of an Anklyosaurus with two balloons tied to his bed?) dinosaurs count objects loved by boys the world over: bouncing balls, toy trucks and and train cars. This book is in board book format, helping to avoid torn pages with toddlers and babies in the house. Definitely a plus in our house where I have both a two and a three year old.

You can purchase your copy of <How Do Dinosaurs Count To Ten? at Amazon.com for $6.99 or at your local book store!

I received no compensation in order to provide this review. This is a book from our family library of children's books that we enjoy. However; I am an Amazon.com associate, and any purchases through the links above will result in compensation. This has no bearing on my opinion. The purpose of this review is simply to share a family favorite book.

Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman REVIEW

Sadie Fisher lives a simple live in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. An Amish widow, she supports herself by selling handmade goods in a small shop and occasionally renting out a small cottage on her property. She seems to have found another chance for love and companionship through letters with a good Amish man living in Texas. They hope to eventually marry and start a life together near his family, but their courtship has been a slow one and they have never met in person. Everything changes when a rich Englisher rents her cottage for a few months. He is single with a young autistic son, and is seeking answers to life’s difficult questions. Sadie is instantly drawn to this man and his young son. What will become of their friendship? You will have to read Plain Promise by Beth Wiseman to find out more.

I truly enjoyed this sweet story of love and friendship. The characters were likeable and well developed and the plot was well developed making aspects of the story that might seem a bit unlikely, believable. I am finding that I enjoy books about the Amish, and hope to find more at my local bookstore, particularly by this author. I recommend this book to those looking for a quick, enjoyable, uplifting story filled with love, friendship and faith.

You can read more about Beth Wiseman by visiting her website at http://www.bethwiseman.net/

I received one copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in order to read it and provide this review for you. I received no further compensation and the opinion expressed above is honest and completely my own.