Gigi and I after a lesson!

Sorry for the poor quality :(  Getting ready to ride.

A beautiful fall day photo op :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  It's been awhile, and I would be totally and utterly astounded if anyone read this today :)  The past couple of years have been crazy...with no end in sight!  Been going through some items and came across some great pictures of Gigi and me.  I miss her so much.....and riding for that matter.  Hope everyone is able to enjoy something they love this weekend!

Father's Day and some fun cards

Ah, it's been a while and life has been super busy....preschool graduation, summer camp registrations, vacation planning and the like. Right now, I have just created some super fun and great father's day cards for the men in my life. I love Shutterfly! They have some wonderful and super easy products to make unique and creatively yours gifts. Mine are the cards. Looking for a great gift for the dads in your life, really, check out Shutterfly! Personally, I prefer Shutterfly over Snapfish....better quality books et al.

To take a quick peak, check out the following:

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Winter Fun

Isabelle's first time on skates and she had a BLAST! So much so that she kept on asking if she could join the boys who were playing hockey. That's my girl :) Our town has a man-made rink that is just perfect for beginners. She did not want to stop - even when tempted with her favorite winter drink...hot chocolate.

Tomorrow's adventure...sledding with Hannah!

Just love winter fun!!

Super Great Craft Idea!

(Above image from Little Bit Funky's Blog....not mine!)

I follow a few blogs. Some are okay and others are just plain awesome! One such blog that I follow is A Little Bit Funky. Crystal is a wonderful person who is super creative and artistic. Something I truly envy and wish I had half of her creativity :) I'd like to share with everyone one of her many great craft ideas.....I like it so much I am planning on doing this at a playdate soon! The idea is using freezer paper to stensil a design. Simple and easy...not to mention fun. For instructions, simply check out A Little Bit Funky's blog.

It has been snowing a lot recently, and I was able to capture Isabelle one post-snowy afternoon while playing outside. To be young and enjoy the cold, wet snow again :)

Discovered and LOVE eBates!

I have been using eBates since October and really do like it a lot! I was a little hesitant in using it at first. Thought it was one of those silly scams. Happily, I have discovered otherwise. Not sure if anyone has used a third party company to buy things. Most of the time, the places I like to shop online are not included. I was thrilled to find Hanna Andersson and Shutterfly on eBates! Love both of those sites.

Anyway, if anyone is interested, check it out. eBates not only gives you money back (usually about 2-8% of your purchase....some places do specials of a lot more like 30% - though not usually the places I shop), it also lets you know if the company has a special and for how long. Really awesome if you do a lot of online shopping.

Here's the link to eBates...maybe you can get a little extra holiday cheer by trying it out :)

Seriously, I love to share good deals....and am trying not to sound like a giant walking advertisement (lol)!

The Day Before Thanksgiving

Yes, new excitement and some time have found their way in my life again....and just in time for the holidays too! With Thanksgiving a day away and so many things yet to be done. Isabelle is on Thanksgiving Break until next week, and we have some fun adventures ahead of us over the next five days.

Today, we are going to make Turkey Cookies for tomorrow as a special surprise. Found this cute "craft/recipe" on NickJr of all places. Looks like a super fun project for the two of us. Of course, I've made some adjustments to the recipe...such as making my own cookie dough :)

(picture from NickJr website of delicious and fun cookies!)

Then, the day after we will be making gingerbread cookies. Lots of gingerbread cookies. With a young cat in the house who *loves* to get into everything, my beautiful glass ornaments (collected over years and many are one of a kind) are safely tucked away until Natasha is old enough. So, we decorate the tree with great gingerbread cookies (angels, reindeer and santas). The house smells great for the entire Christmas season, and if a cookie breaks, so be it. Everyone is happy all around!

This morning, we are heading to a couple of stores to get some foil wrapping paper to complete the decorating of the three-season porch. Pictures will be posted of the completed project.

Oh yes, and a couple of apple pies are on the agenda today....what is Thanksgiving without apple pie?!

Enjoy your busy day too!

Awesome Deal from Shutterfly

Occasionally, I post about a great deal or two. I love it when a company I like offers a special promotion. Shutterfly is doing just this right now. Anyone with a blog will receive 50 free holiday cards. Awesome deal! (Visit Shutterfly's blog for more info. and to submit request.)

I am a HUGE fan of Shutterfly. And, have made many a card and photo album with them. I especially love the great selection of holiday cards they have - even ones on card stock! Our family holiday card will be including the picture below of Isabelle when she visited a butterfly sanctuary.

The card I have chosen in one that allows for more than one picture - love this option! This is going to be my first time with holiday cards from Shutterfly. And, I expect no less than when I normally order prints, photo albums and other occasion cards - excellent product and easy to navigate website. Seriously, Shutterfly has it all over Snapfish. And, I truly enjoy the ability to view the finished product (online of course!) before ordering. Fixing any problems (red eye for example), centering subjects, opting for sepia or black and white is just wonderful for creativity and originality!

There are so many cards to choose from that it can be hard to pick only one! Highly encourage you to check on the holiday card selection - once you get there you will not go any where else!!