A diatribe

A diatribe, is that the right word? Anyway, I feel like I've had a few annoyances with businesses lately and when I feel like a business has done me wrong I don't forget easy. And for whatever reason I feel like I should share those annoyances with others to forewarn them or to just avoid that business...as if my opinion really influences any one anyway but it makes me feel better. Maybe its just pure revenge, I don't know. The last business to really tick me off was Hy-vee and its taken me about six months to buy much of anything there. (I won't go into this one but don't order photo cards there.)

Annoyance 1- GOODRICH ICECREAM...GAS STATION CLERK!

Do not buy Goodrich Icecream at the gas stattion at 84th and Old Cheney. I love Goodrich icecream....yummy! However, do not let a woosy gas station clerk serve your icecream. Seriously, I got a half a scoop on top of my cone and nothing inside it!! And for that I paid $1.59 + tax! I just sat there looking very very disappointed but lacked the words (which came ever so easily once I got into the car). DO NOT SHORT CHANGE ME ON MY ICECREAM!!!!!  It was the most pathetic thing I ever saw. However, DO try their icecream at their shops on 70th and Vandorn or 48th and Pioneers. My favorites are the chocolate chip cookie dough and Orange Casanova. I also enjoy the Colbyridge popcorn that they sell!

Annoyance 2-JCPENNY'S

Don't pay for your purchase at JcPenny's online with a gift card. I bought Victory a couple pairs of jeans and a  pair of shoes for myself.  For the $100 purchase I paid $15.00 with the gift card. I went to return my shoes and they wouldn't put it back on my credit card. They didn't have my card listed on the receipt! The only thing they had listed was that I paid $15.00 with a gift card. LAME! I know I'll spend the money on the gift card again (in store this time) but really?? Obviously, I paid $85 out of pocket. I still like JcPenny's but ...annoyed.

Annoyance 3...but RESOLVED annoyance with PRO-FLOWERS.COM

Victory bought me flowers for Valentines day at PRO-FlOWERS. When I pulled them out of the box they just looked sad. I hoped they would perk up like the instructions said after they had been in water for 8 hours. But no. They just got sadder and sadder. Everytime I looked at them I got depressed. It was the saddest Valentine's gift I had ever received....I'd rather have not gotten anything.But then I found out that they have an awesome policy. They guarantee their flowers to last at LEAST 7 days. So I got to pick out new flowers...TULIPS...they were beautiful! So I would definitely reccommend them. If they don't get it right the first time you get more flowers!!

Wow. Whenever I 'm able to express my frustrations I feel SOO Much better. So now that I'm feeling better after that bitter diatribe I'm going to leave you now. I hope you have a good day!

Adorning Flowers

I bought little girl a new dress to wear last Sunday. My mom kept saying that it looked too big and I just told her the price tag said it was a 6-9 months. In my excitement to dress my girl up, I made her a bracelet and a super cute flowered headband to match. When I went to get her dressed I realized the dress was indeed too big. I looked at the tag and it said the size was 12 months. (Go figure. Mom was right). :)

Unfortunately, I was too determined for her to wear it so I safety pinned it. :) You can make anything fit...if you really want it too, right? I think it turned out okay, it didn't look entirely too big for a five month old.

As a completely biased mother, I think she looked adorable!! She just melts my heart! I LOVE THIS GIRL!

Here is a flower that I made for myself. I never thought I could pull off wearing a flower but I'm wearing them whether or not I'm fashionable enough to do so.

I'm fighting the urge to go buy lots of different kinds of fabrics and colors to make lots more! We'll see how long I last before I find myself wandering the craft stores. The thing I like most is burning the edges.  (I was going to use the word singe-ing but wasn't sure how to spell it...looks like sing-ing.) Never knew I was a pyro did you? Me either. :)

Inspiring

Many of my friends have buttons on their blogs that say, "I read Nie Nie". About a month ago, I finally checked out the NieNie Diaologues. It is an absolutly beautiful blog. Her story is amazing and her life is beautiful. I could read her blog all day. I feel like I'm reading a Jane Austen novel. It's probably because she almost always refers to her husband as Mr. Nielson. Its the best kind of love story.

To catch up on her life story, I'd suggest reading this article on Opra's website.  Take a moment to read her posts prior to the accident and the ones written by husband when she couldn't write....you'll be hooked!  Her words and pictures make an almost ordinary life seem so magical. It's simply beautiful. I always come away wanting to live my life to the fullest and love my husband more.

Her blog is linked on the right here, just click on "I read NieNie".

I hope you enjoy her stories and her expressions of faith and love!!

Someday Crafts

Somewhere during my maternity leave I was introduced to craft blogs, now I'm addicted. If anyone had mentioned craft blogs prior to this time I wouldn't have been necessarily interested. Now, I love the idea of thinking about, "what can I make? or "how can I improve this or that?" So I see all of these awesome ideas but I usually can't do them because I lack either the materials, tools, space or time and I forget about them. But here are a few of my "someday" crafts. (I know there is a blog called Someday Crafts and I thought it was perfect for me because that's what I always say....someday.)

Heart Felt Wreath

Would have liked to have done this one for Valentine's day.

Flowered Shirt- Idea Room

Snowmen Balls- Idea Room

I love snowmen! But not right now, this is a craft for next year!

I think this picture is funny...poor little snowmen stuck in a jar. It's like they are saying, "Somebody,let me out, please!"

Beadboard Frames-Batchelors Way

Love this...do you think it would work with only three pictures?

Now, I need to find spring ideas and get ahead of the game.

Tomorrow I'll have to post a picture of a really cute flowered headband I made for little girl to go with her sunday dress! I was so excited about it! I never knew crafting could be so much fun!!

Can't leave it alone!

Here is a scrumptous, simple dessert that you really just can't leave alone. Trust me. I was going to take a picture of what it looked like yesterday when I got home but Victory got home before I did and there wasn't much left to take a picture of. :)

Can't Leave it Alone Cake
1 box Yellow Cake
1/3 C Oil
2 Eggs

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 stick of butter (I've used margarine and it hadn't been turning out so Sunday I used butter and it finally turned out right)

Mix cake mix, oil and eggs. Spread 1/2 -2/3 of mixture on the bottom of 9x13 pan. Melt the chocolate chips, sweeten condensed milk and butter in microwave. Pour over the cake mixture in pan. Dollop the remaining cake mixture over the chocolate. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min...just until golden.  ENJOY!!!

*I got this from my sister, who got it from somebody...not sure of the original source.

In need of a second wind

I am exhausted! So tired. I feel like I can't keep up. I lied in one of my previous posts where I thought working full time was probably easier than staying home with little girl but I feel that I am wrong. I feel like ever since I said that it has just been getting more difficult everyday.
My boss came in the office this morning and asked, "what's the good word?" I had I nothing to offer. I realized I need an attitude change! No more "woe is me". Maybe I can bring on my own second wind by thinking about the positive!

Positives of working:

-Insurance

-Savings

-sometimes fulfilling

-gaining skills and confidence in certain areas

-a nice walk from my car to my building on campus everyday

-a good boss and coworkers (most of them any way)

-my own office with a window

-I know little girl is in good hands while I'm at work. (but I do miss her!!)

Other postitives:

-An AWESOME husband who realized I needed a break this weekend and took care of a lot of the household responsibilities.

-I felt like I spent some quality time with Victory and little girl this weekend.

-I didn't leave the house AT ALL on Saturday...so nice.

-Little girl fell asleep in my arms at church...she hasn't done that for me for a very long time. It was very sweet.

-My "Can't leave it alone cake" turned out fantastically yesterday. YUM YUM! Butter not maragine. I think it made all the difference! (maybe tomorrow I'll leave you the recipe for it).

-Had a nice dinner with family and friends. We played a Monopoly card game. I kinda like it. In my opinion, much better than actual monopoly.

With that list of positives I'm going to leave you now. Hope the sun comes out today!!

Curious for some Green$$$

Question: Do you ever click on the ads that are posted on blogs?

Question: Would you ever consider putting ads on your blog for money?

Question: Would I be lame if I did? :)

I've thought about monetizing my blog with Adsense (you can do it to your blog too). You get paid for either  cost-per-click or cost-per 1000 impressions (by how often their ad shows up on your blog).  It sounds like the likelihood of making much is pretty low but I am curious whether it will work or not.

So, if you have any experience with it I'd like to know  OR if you think I'd be completely LAME-O for trying...let me know! I don't want to lose any friends or visitors because of my curiosity. :)

If by your comments, I am not deemed "LAME-O" for trying, I will do a trial run for a month or two and let you know how it goes because really, I'm curious. If I can make enough to buy a Frozen Hot Chocolate from DQ in a couple of months- I'd be pleasantly surprised.

*Random side note: Back in High school I used to work at DQ. Pretty much tried everything. My absolute favorites: Strawberry Banana Smoothie and the aforementioned Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie. HEAVEN! You won't see them on the menu but you can still order them.