Just checking in…..

….in between entering giveaways and visiting some really cool blogs! I do not have time for much else this week! (My poor children have had alot of “free time” this week…..) Ha!

I just realized that I have not posted since my big “Bloggy Giveaway” announcement, so I thought I should at least check in. Since I am posting on my hubby’s computer (which does not have our pictures downloaded onto it), I cannot post the pictures I meant to anyway. So I will save them for tomorrow…..

Have you been checking out the giveaways? You really should! And if you have participated, let me know which one you are hoping to win. I am really hoping to win this and this, as well as this. Plus there are a bunch of people giving away a custom blog look. Oh how I would love that!!! One can ALWAYS hope….

Today’s the day!!!

Today starts the Bloggy Giveways carnival, which I am thrilled to be a part of for the FIRST time! I can hardly wait to look at all of the other fun blogs, giving away cool things. After you check out my website and leave a comment to win one of my fabulous books, don’t forget to go back and check out all of the other fun giveaways~!

Here is how mine will work:

~Go to my website, Sarah’s Bookshelf, and pick a $10 book (or books adding up to $10).
~Then leave a comment on my blog, telling me the title of the book(s) that you would pick if you win.

~Make sure you leave your blog name (with a place where I can find your email address). If you don’t have a blog, just leave an email address where I can reach you.

~The contest will end on Feb. 1, 2008 (Friday) at 12:00midnight. I will pick a winner and post the results on Saturday sometime.

~This contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents. I will ship your book to you next week!

(While browsing my bookshelf, make sure you enter the drawing on my site for $50 in free books! And if you want to host an e-show, let me know. It is so easy and so fun!!)

HAPPY CONTEST-ING! I can hardly wait to see who wins!!

Gobbling up what??

In an attempt to be more frugal (yet creative) with my food budget, I have been planning my weekly meals around the meat that is on sale that week. It has been working out very well actually….I will post more on this subject later….but today, I wanted to talk about my turkey experience of a few weeks ago.
There are several problems that arise when you think of me cooking a turkey. The main one being, as only this friend’s husband can understand, that I am petrified of fowl. It doesn’t matter–adorable little chickadee at the feeder, small ducks at the park, Polly sitting on your shoulder—they all creep the living daylights out of me. I cannot explain why. I have just been scared of birds ever since I can remember. Irrational, I know, but paralyzing nonetheless. Secondly, I have never been a big meat eater. I have never resorted to a full-blown vegan state like this friend, but I have been borderline several times in my life. After meeting and marrying my husband though, I have slowly acquired a taste for meat. I must admit that I now crave a juicy burger every once in awhile. I even order steak–gasp!–about once a year. That was never done pre-hubby.:-) I can even speak the lingo…..”I will have a filet mignon, medium well.” (I think that is right, right???Maybe not…..)
The third reason that turkeys and I do not mix is that I am lazy. The thought of preparing the disgusting carcass, getting it in the pan, waiting for hours, and then having to baste it and carve it is just TOO MUCH! Way too much work for something that is not on the top of my “best foods ever” list. Jenny-O Turkey is my kind of turkey dinner. . .
All of this to say that when we received a huge fresh turkey in a Thanksgiving basket, I placed it in the freezer and chose to forget about it. It sat in there for several months, until one day–I was running very short on grocery money and found that I needed to utilize the turkey.
I dug it out, defrosted it for days on end (another reason that I hate turkey), then proceeded to get it oven-ready. I was careful not to make the same mistakes I had made my first time of turkey roasting. Finding the bag of “parts” (don’t keep reading Gret if you can’t stomach it!) as well as the neck, etc. after baking it was not appetizing, to put it mildly.
So, I dug out all of the parts that I do not know of anyone who eats them anyways! and threw them away. (After having a dry-heaving moment over a mental image of the neck being alive….) Then I prepared the turkey a new way that my precious dad taught me: rub butter all over the turkey–another repulsive feeling!–and place it in the pan, breast-side down. This keeps in the moisture and produces a very tender meat. I plopped it in the oven for 2 1/2 hrs. on 300 degrees, and then turned the oven down to 140 degrees and left it in there for another hour.
I must say, it was worth all of the pain and agony that I went through to roast it! It was moist (hate that word, but that is another post entirely!), and supplied us with 3 or 4 meals.
Because this post is WAAAAYYY too long, I will save the recipes that I prepared with the leftovers from this bird and share with you tomorrow. They were very good! And my husband was very proud of me for stretching a meat dish into 3+meals. That is worth the nightmares, I suppose……

A royal event in the making…..

The princesses here at Toddler World are planning a royal Valentine’s Day party for several of their princess friends. I like to host a party now, rather than for their birthdays. It takes the focus off of “them” and allows their friends to come without feeling obligated to buy a gift. (And then I only have to plan one party!!) It is ultimately just a selfish motive on my part……
We have been scouring magazines, books, and websites for ideas for our party. (I love this sort of thing!)

~~The centerpieces and party favors are from my latest Everyday with Rachael Ray….Big E’s favorite celebrity! They are candy bouquets and they are adorable! (Sorry, there is no picture of them on the website. I think it will be up next month.)

~~Our dessert comes from my latest issue of Country Living….adorable little cupcakes!

~~ The princessy craft will be from one of my books (of course!). The girls helped decide which one to do.

~~We will be watching a princess movie, one of my girls’ favorites……Princess Gigi.

~~ And the royal menu, chosen by the princesses themselves: chicken nuggets, homemade mac and cheese (a family recipe), and fruit salad, as well as pink lemonade and strawberry milk.

I will let you know how it goes, and post pictures of the sparkly PINKness of it all! It should be fun! Everyone is coming in their “royal best”, so it ought to be stunning.
In the meantime, if you want to host your own Valentine party or just want to make some fun cards for grandparents, here is a great site to look at…..XOXOXOXO!

~MOMMY MONDAYS~

A nursery rhyme for my mommy friends

(and those other readers who enjoy a good deal)

There was a young woman

Who needed some shoes.

She had so many children

She didn’t know what to do. (OK, not really–but it felt like it!)

She had a tight budget

With not much to spare.

But the children’s feet kept growing–

They didn’t seem to care!

She searched and searched for deals

Without any luck.

She knew they were out there–

she just had to look.

But “patience is a virtue”, you know;

So she waited a bit.

And what do you suppose…..

On her recent trip to Target

She found just what she needed!

And she couldn’t contain her surprise….

She got not 3, not 4, but 5 pairs of shoes

For $17.85!!!!

(See, mommas–it pays to search the clearance racks! Target shoe clearance has never failed me!! I got one toddler’s snowboots for next year, a pair of cowboy boots for an upcoming birthday, and 3 pairs of shoes for now! PTL!)

Keeping warm on a winter day……

As I type, the temp outside is -2 degrees; it feels like -19 with wind chill. If you are not from the Midwest, you may not understand these kind of conditions. About 10 years ago, I did not either. In fact, I detested this kind of weather and was not prepared to face it in any way, shape, or form!
After marrying my dear Midwestern husband and deciding (together, of course) to make our home in the Midwest for now, I have become accustomed to the cold. In fact, I actually enjoy snow storms and I find days like today “fun”…..it gives me a chance to throw together a yummy pot of soup (I have a new Midwest Living recipe to put in the crockpot tomorrow–in honor of you, Danielle!–Kansas City Steak Soup), put on my coziest hoodie and best slippers, and make a pot of my favorite coffee.

I hope you are all keeping warm today, wherever you might be. I am going to go surf my favorite blogs with my large latte mug in hand, keeping me warm inside. But I will leave you with these recent pictures, which are warming my heart on a day like today. ~~~~

Snowy Cousins

Uh-oh! Look who learned to stand up!

Bundled up with my favorite guy

“MOMMY MONDAYS”

Beginning today, I am going to focus Monday’s posts on things pertaining to mothering. I am personally always looking for new tips, insights, and anecdotes , so I thought it would be fun to find things and share them with my ever-so-faithful readers.

I did not have time today to scour the internet for mind-shattering info though (had to take Littlest E to the dr. to diagnose an ear infection and pick up the meds), so I will just share a book title that I have found helpful.

We are “blessed” with a very strong-willed–and often hard to understand– oldest child. Sometimes I feel like I am at my wit’s end when dealing with her…..I just cannot get a read on her thought-processes! I ran across this book while visiting one of my dearest friends awhile back (at her awesome church bookstore) and bought it to look through. The book is entitled “Aaron’s Way” by Kendra Smiley. It was so encouraging….the author gave her thoughts and insights on her strong-willed son, and then each chapter ends with the son’s (now grown up) insights into what he was thinking in those situations. As I read through it, I was relieved in a way to realize that I am not the only one dealing with these seemingly unending battles.

The book is saturated with Scripture–many parenting books are not, unfortunately–and the author is careful to always point to the Biblical perspective. I would highly recommend this book, not just for parents of strong-willed children, but all mothers who desire to have a plan for discipline and instruction.

“Parents, every day you have to decide where you’ll draw the line–what behavior is permissible and what will not be tolerated. You’ll have to be ready for battle every day until your child makes his own decision to stop battling. The hope is that his determination for control will lessen each day. But until he decides to acquiesce, I guarantee you that you will be pushed and tested. The more often you give in, the worse it will get, and the longer the process will take. If you hold firm, your strong-willed child will eventually give up engaging in many of the fights. Don’t be short-sighted. Raising a strong-willed child is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.” pg. 40-41

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

*Hebrews 12:11*

Issues I Deal With As The Only Little Boy Living with Two Older Sisters

What should I be when I grow up….?

Maybe a scholar….

…or maybe a cowboy….

…perhaps a soccer coach….

…..or even a rich football player….

…or I could just resign myself to being a dress-up toy….sigh.

Who couldn’t use a little publicity?

You all need to head over to Bloggy Giveways and enter the blog carnival she is setting up at the end of the month. I go on her site almost every day, and enter all of the contests, hoping to win something great. But even if I don’t, it is fun to see all of the other bloggers that comment and “cruise” when I have the time.
I will be giving away a fun Usborne book (just to entice any of you!~) ……what can you find to give away? I know Sara has some pictures lying around that I would LOVE to win!
Let the giveaways begin!!!!!!

Walkin’ in a winter wonderland

It snowed the weekend before New Year’s, and being an abnormal Midwesterner–I was thrilled! (I adore snow storms. I don’t even mind driving in them……as long as I don’t have 3 children yelling in the back….) It was so BEAUTIFUL! Huge flakes, peaceful hush around the neighborhood, and the best part–not too cold!

I bundled up the toddlers and we played out in it for awhile. Even Little E loved it! He does not have a good snowsuit or snowboots, so we could not stay out long; but he was pointing at all of the trees, and grinning when flakes hit him in the face. It was fun to watch. I even took him for a sled ride on my lap–not sure if that was a hit or not–I couldn’t see his facial expression.

Of course, the girls loved it too. Daddy made a huge snow “mountain” for them in the front yard, complete with a sledding chute and steps to climb up the other side. Big E tried it right away, Middle E was apprehensive (she is scared of everything under the sun right now). But being the loving and nurturing mother that I am, I forced her onto the sled and shoved her down the hill. Of course as soon as she landed at the bottom, she informed me that it “wasn’t really that scary after all”. Hmmm, imagine that……

Daddy also went out and bought the girls their own little shovels. He has fond memories of shoveling his heart out in the front yard as a child, and he wanted them to have the same experience. It was a good buy though–they love them and it keeps them out of my hair….I mean, happily occupied….for quite awhile in the back. Which every mother knows is necessary from time to time!