Not a mail freebie....

But a freebie none the less!!!



Bath and Body Works is giving away 1.6 oz candles for FREE, and for this weekend only! Here is the link to the coupon!

One thing I hadn't thought of.....

When I was so excited about potty training, I forgot once he is out of diapers I won't get anymore Pampers Gifts to Grow points!!!

Mail goodies so far for 2011

It's been such a long time since I posted some of the freebies I have gotten........mainly because when we moved in September I gave up on getting anything good. But so far, things have continued to roll in!! So far this is what I have gotten for 2011;

- Excedrin coupons for free products (3)
- photo post cards (hope everyone I sent them to enjoyed them!)
- Atkins Kit (mainly ordered for the free bars.....they were )
- NFL tote/Dollar General
- Nike Shoes (Dr. Oz....actually ended up with 2 codes!! I entered my info first but the form locked up, so I opened a new window and tried again with Z's info and it went through. I closed the other window that locked up and didn't think much about it until i got the email that it actually went through!! )
- Red Gold measuring spoon (LOVE it!! It was free when you submitted a recipe using their products, and I use Red Gold tomato paste and sauce in my spaghetti, lasagna and meatloaf recipes)
- $3 Pinecone payment/Paypal
- $5 survey check
- $5 amazon GC (2)/swagbucks

I'm sure there are a few other things that I just didn't write down, but I am now starting to keep better track of what I sign up for and what I receive.

Do the potty dance!!

Ok, so we aren't there yet......LOL! But i'm thinking we may be able to start potty training by the end of summer/early fall! Chase has shown some interest in his potty chair for the past month or so, but i'm thinking it was mainly because Elmo is on it. But within the past week or so, Chase has been coming up to me and will grab the front of his diaper while saying something......i'll ask him if he pooped and he'll say "Yeah" and sure enough he did. I remember Tyler doing something similar and not too long after that we started the potty training and it went GREAT! Some people say how hard boys are to potty train, but Ty was SO easy! I mean, he didn't train overnight, but once he got the hang of it it was smooth sailing! I just took cues from Ty and let him basically lead the way with training, and i'll do the same with Chase. I'm keeping my fingers crossed Chase trains just as smoothly.

Ahhh, to be free of diapers for good.........I can't wait to be able to do the potty dance!!!

New kicks!!

My new kicks, completely free! (and they are SO comfy and light.....)



Here is Z's pair....




I'm still in total shock that I won! I never win anything.

My smart cookie!!

On Friday Tyler brought home his second "report card" of the year (it's not really a report card, but I for the life of me can not remember what they are called!) and he did AMAZING!!!! He brought up two "grades" and maintained all the others. I am so very proud of him, and hope he continues to do well.

Happy 10th birthday, Licky!!!!

Love you, sweet girl!!!

7 years ago today....

....at 5:29am I looked into the eyes of the most perfect little human being and was instantly hooked for life. Happy birthday, my sweet boy. Always know that mommy loves you more than life itself.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

We are getting our third snow fall in a little over a week!! We have about 2 inces outside now, and it is coming down really hard still! It's so beautiful outside.......and so quiet!! We haven't seen snow like this since we left Maryland. I'm so glad the boys get to play in snow. :) In fact, Ty just got his very first sled this past weekend as an early birthday present!! He is SO excited to use it.....and I can't wait to get pics of him sledding!!!

Speaking of birthdays......I can not believe my boy will be 7 years old on Thursday!!! He is so excited. He asked me to make him a confetti cake with pink icing and sprinkles. He also got his b-day presents this past weekend. Not only did he get a new sled, but we bought him new sheets for his bed....Spongebob!!! He also got a huge super soft blanket he picked out from granny and grandpa. We had NO idea what to get him, since he got tons of stuff a few weeks ago for Christmas........and I thought he would like new sheets, so when I asked him about getting those he said "OH YEAH!!!" We have to wait to get the Spongebob comforter that matches, since they were out of stock, but he didn't care at all. As soon as we got home on Saturday (after driving in some REALLY scary weather and nasty roads...*shudder*) he stripped his bed and put his new stuff on. LOL I have to admit it is super cute. He wanted Scooby-Doo stuff for his bed, but they didn't get very good reviews. They were so cute, though. Here is a pic of Ty enjoying his new sheets!





Even Chase loved the sheets!! He kept squealing "Bob-bob!!"

2011!

Wow, it's SO hard to believe 2010 is over. It was a very rough year, to say the least. But I do believe things always happen for a reason. I have several resolutions for 2011 that I really want to work hard on and stick to. For starters;

- I want to be a better mother to the boys. To have more patients, and to enjoy every single moment of them being kids.
- I also want to work harder on being a better friend. I get caught up in so many things around the house and I neglect keeping in touch with my friends......I feel so bad about that. :(
- I want to do better at keeping up with housework, but not to the point where I miss out on things with the boys. As long as I can manage the "lived in" look, i'll be happy!!
- I want to do better with getting my diabetes under control. I would love to say I want to lose weight to do that, and I do vow to fit some sort of exercise into my daily routine.
- I want to try and work hard on my marriage. I put this last because I don't know how to accomplish this, when I have been trying to work on it and Z has not. I can't make him change, but at the same time I would think he would want to change and be a better husband and father......I think the boys deserve a father who isn't constantly yelling and fussing at them. Poor Ty gets the brunt of Z's temper and I feel so bad for him. He bends over backwards for his daddy, and all Z does is find fault in every little thing he does. But then Z will turn around and say that Ty never listens to him.....well, when the only attention he gets from you is yelling why should he listen? If he doesn't listen and you yell at him, that is at least some attention he gets. (albeit the WRONG attention) I've heard Z say several times how he needs help, but nothing ever changes.....nothing. I guess what I really need to do first is figure out if I want to even try and save this marriage, or just move on for the sake and happiness of the boys. They don't deserve to be treated the way Z treats them.

Ok, I guess the last resolution was more of a vent.....sorry about that. :( I always feel like i'm the bad guy when it comes to Z, especially when it comes to his family. In fact, last night he was bitching about me to his mom on the phone when I was in the other room. He always tries to defend his actions when it comes to his lies or the way he interacts with the boys. I honestly don't care what his family feels or thinks of me..........I know what kind of person Z is and I honestly don't like it very much anymore. Over 10 years is a long time for someone to put up with the things the boys and I have had to put up with. Who knows what 2011 will have in store for the boys and I.............