What to do with a $1 Old Navy Performance Fleece Scarf?

Word on the street is that tomorrow, Saturday, 11/7, Old Navy will have their Performance Fleece Scarves on sale for $1!! Thanks to The Morris Tribe for the tip!

When I got this valuable bit o' info, I thought to myself. What could I do with a scarf???!! Hm.....

This is what I came up with!

• Wrap your Christmas packages in brown packing paper ($1/roll at Dollar Tree) and tie them up with an adorable scarf for gift giving.
• If you have a green thumb and actually have living potted plants in your house, tie them up in a bow with a scarf around the pot for the holiday season.
• Keep a few on hand for people who you didn't expect a gift from, but want to return the sweet thought.
• Stitch two together to use as a draft dodger (not as in military) under drafty doors.
• Grab a couple extra to keep in your trunk for an emergency. You know where you keep your nonperishable food and blanket in case something crazy happens and you get stranded in Alaska, off a main roadway, without your cell phone.
• Choose a couple to coordinate with some of your outfits...scarves are so this year.
• And, my personal favorite and what is driving me there at opening time? I'm using these to wrap up some yummy goodness for teacher gifts this year. I was already planning on baking loaves of bread to give. I'll wrap them in saran wrap and then wrap them in a scarf.

Now the question is...which ones to choose??? A whole buncha VERY cute patterns and solid colors.

Funky, floral red??

Trendy, crisp green??

Classic, timeless black??

Let me know if you go snag some and what you're going to use yours for! I mean it, I WANT to know!

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Setting: Our living room

Players: Roman and me

Me: Roman, what does Dane have ahold of?

Roman: Your undershirt (translation: bra). [he looks a little closer and clarifies nonchalantly] Yeah, your undershirt...the one that makes nipples big.

Me: Oh, okay [trying not to bust out laughing]

That's almost as good as the time he described it as "the undershirt that makes your nipples fluffy".

Rockstar!

Once a year, the boys have a fundraiser at school. Last year, Roman wanted to earn the biggest prize, but he wasn't willing to learn the "speech" and ask enough people. He settled for asking a few and getting the next best thing.

This year, he had his eye on the Big Kahuna. He practiced his talk and I went with him by foot, car, and phone until he got his goal. THANK GOODNESS "the day" was not last week when he was all piggy flu. Look what he got to do.

Transport: snazzy stretch hummer

Destination: CiCi's Pizza...Roman's maiden voyage to the pizza buffet.

Verdict: "They even have dessert! Cinnamon rolls and EVERYTHING!"

Lookin' like a natural.

This may be the single biggest cheese ball smile of his life. Excited doesn't even touch the tip of the iceberg!

Elijah decided this year he'd work for the second biggest prize. So, he joined Roman this afternoon for the Wii Party. An afternoon of bounce houses and a big ole screen with Mario Kart. Elijah had a blast!!!!

THANK YOU to all of you who bought cookie dough. I hope you're enjoying it as much as we are. Know that your support has helped the school buy some great technology for the students and has given Roman and Elijah a memorable afternoon!

T minus 21

We are in November (5 days already...slllooooowwww done month!) and that means it'll be Thanksgiving before we know it (21 days, to be specific!).

I'm not a favorites person (I'm pretty sure I've said that before). Please don't ask me to choose my favorite holiday because I just can't. I like different things about each of them. I CAN say, though, that the food on Thanksgiving has to be my favorite.

Growing up, there were specific dishes you could always expect on my family's Thanksgiving dinner table. Oyster dressing at my Granny and Papaw's (blek!!....I think it's a boy thing), hashbrown casserole & turkey frame soup at my Grandma and Grandpa's, and CRANBERRY FLUFF at our house.

Cranberry Fluff...just the name starts me salivating. Looking at the recipe card makes my heart pitter patter. With me in the house, there are no leftovers. Thanksgiving IS the fluff!

Seeing as though I'm convinced that you haven't had Thanksgiving until you've tried the fluff of the gods. I absolutely refuse to leave you hanging in desperation. I will share my top secret recipe.

Cranberry Fluff

(also known as Cranberry Waldorf.....way too ritsy and old womanish sounding for my taste)

12 oz bag of cranberries

3 cups miniature marshmallows

3/4 c sugar

2 cups unpeeled red apples

1/2 c broken walnuts

1/4 t salt

1 c whipping cream (1/2 pt)

Grind (blend) cranberries to assorted sizes, not to a pulp. Part of the fun is the small chunks of cranberries.

Mix cranberries with marshmallows & sugar. Cover and chill overnight.

Add diced apples, walnuts, & salt.

Fold in whipping cream. Chill.

WARNING: This is a pink marshmallow thing. BUT, I would not steer you the wrong direction, I promise. I avoid orange, green, & yellow cottage cheesey, gelatiny, marshmallowey dishes like the plague. I am a fairly adventurous eater, but all that stuff, I canNOT even talk myself into trying. This one is different, really, it is. It is sweet yet tangy, crunchy yet chewy. It's just the "fluff".

What are the dishes that drive you to your Thanksgiving table?

Bubba Sookie Buzz

At 9 months, Dane is................

22 lbs 10 oz...75 % percentile

31.5 in...off the chart...a big ole boy

Today, just in time (like right after I used the VERY last diaper in the house), we got a box of Seventh Generation diapers delivered right to our door. 140 size 3 for $23.39 and that includes shipping. Go to Money Saving Mom to find out how! I had a hard time getting the final $4 off, but the comments on the post helped me figure out how, so make sure you read those! FYI, look at the weight for these diapers...normally we'd be in size 4, but their size 3 goes all the way to 28 lbs....nice because that means we get more!

FYI...this is the very first time I've bought diapers since before Dane was born. How? Our church family was so loving to give us a diaper shower when he was small(er). AND, I stocked up on size 1 and 2 diapers at Babies R Us the day after Thanksgiving last year. They had their big boxes of diapers on sale for $10 and their big boxes of wipes on sale for $5!!! Those are UNBEATABLE prices! So, keep your eyes open....I'm hoping for the same deal this year.

I WILL empty the van of everything but me. I WILL go in and out and in and out getting my 3 box limit as many times as they will let me. I have NO pride when it comes to cheap diapers. And, for those of you who have never ventured to the land of Babies R Us diapers, I used them for Roman and now for Dane and am a satisfied customer.

If you're still diapering a little one in your house, check out that Seventh Generation deal!

Happy Halloween!

WE LOVE COSTUMES! And, we love the fun of Halloween!! Unfortunately, our middle brother is still flu-ish and didn't get to trick or treat. He was truly sad until he found out he'd get to eat Oreos with Daddy and that made it okay. I had no idea Oreos carried THAT much power. Gotta keep that info stashed away for a rainy day.

So, without further ado....I present to you our Halloween!

Player #1

"I didn't get to wear my costume, but mom told me to 'go crazy' with face paint" Boy

Player #2

Stoic Darth Vader Baby

"I can't believe it's FINALLY here!!!!!" Knight

The neighborhood crew!

We love our neighborhood for many reasons, but one eclipses the rest. We have some of the BEST neighbors on the planet. Look at this! She has a whole smorgasbord of goodies. AND, she had a whole gallon ziploc filled ready for our family when we got there! Talk about feelin' the love!

Roman and his buddy "the magician". These two have known each other since they were 2 and have a great time. We are SO glad the magician and his bunny (he had his mom wear bunny ears....i cracked up!) came to trick or treat with us!

This is another of my favorites (the family and the pic). This is a family who always has a fun house on Halloween, but this year takes the punch bowl. LOOK AT THEM! And, the dad is in the box...see his hand? Did I say I love our neighborhood?

Shiny Knight laden with TWO bags. He carried one for sick boy and peddled candy for two.

Dane couldn't figure out why he couldn't have any of the bright colored yummies.

What a great night!

Etsy-licious

While I was looking at Etsy recently, probably one of the nights it swallowed me into its black hole of baby shoes or crawler covers, I noticed something about caramels. What?! Etsy sells FOOD too!? Down another rabbit hole I plunged. After salivating over caramels, fudge, chocolate covered cherries, homemade marshmallows (???...i'm not even a marshmallow girl), I somehow ended up noticing cupcake papers.

I knew I'd signed up to take cupcakes to a church event. And these cupcake liners were MUCH cuter and about the same price (kinda, when you leave shipping out :) as what I would pay at a store. I realize it's a justification. But, I thought seriously, splurging an extra $2 on cupcake liners is way better than splurging 50 times that on something else, right? Just nod your head.

Anyway, enough about my guilt, back to the point. I got them at HeyYoYo. As with all the etsy purchases I've made in the past year or so (all 5 of them), Amanda at HeyYoYo was great at getting them to me so speedily and in the cutest packaging. If you've never bought from etsy, these sellers really do some neat things to show their appreciation. And, I enjoy being the reaper of their neatness!

I chose two different styles, because shipping on any set after the first is only 50 cents. I saw the ones I wanted for now and spied a really great set for something I have planned later.

Look at these! You can't find papers like this any ole' place. I already had the tiny bally things and was pumped that they matched perfect.

I just think they are fun! Am I the only one? I may be ruined forever.