Great Offer: 25% off Ann Taylor

Any Ann Taylor fans out there? Use Promo Code STYLE25 to get 25% off your entire order this weekend. Click here to shop online.

Great Offer: Win a Trip to Disney World!

Win a trip to Disney World! Have you got a little girl that is into THE Princesses? Then this contest is for you!



The grand prize winner will win the ultimate Princess Celebration, including:

• A five day/four night vacation for four to Walt Disney World ® Resort (including airfare)
• Four night accommodations at a Disney Resort hotel
• Four five-day Magic Your Way tickets with Park Hopper ® option
• One Castle Package treatment at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• VIP Parade or fireworks viewing
• A Disney's PhotoPass ® Package
• And a Princess Breakfast dining experience for four

Click here to enter!

Travel Tip: Packing Made Easy a.k.a. How To Pack for Kids

Last year after baby boy was born, my entire family came to visit. My sister-in-law shared with me how she simplifies packing for her 4 girls. I thought it was ingenious, so now I am sharing it with you:

1. Buy a box of the gallon sized Ziploc bags.
   
2. Put one outfit in a bag (undies, tights/socks, skirt/pants, shirt, sweater, etc.).
   
3. Label the bag with the child's name.
4. Repeat for each child and for each day you will be gone.
   

Now you kids outfits are neatly packed, and easy to pull out of the suitcase. Plus, you'll save time by not having to coordinate outfits. Heck! Since the outfits are already coordinated, the kiddos could even choose which one to wear.

Great Offer: 20% Off at Bath and Body Works (through September 13)

Here's a coupon that can be used in Bath & Body Works. You can either shop online, or in the stores. Coupon can only be used through September 13, 2009.

Great Offer: J. Crew 20% off Final Sale (ends 9/10/09)

This promo code is only good online. Click here to visit J. Crew online.
*All sales final. Offer not valid in J.Crew Factory or retail stores. 20% discount applies to final sale items only. Offer is valid through 11:59PM ET Thursday, September 10, 2009. Online savings are reflected after promotional code EXTRA20 is entered at checkout. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Limit one promotional code per order.

Great offer: JCPenney Free Shipping Promo Code

Free shipping at JCP.com on orders over $49. This even includes products purchased from the online outlet. Enter Promo Code 32GIFT when checking out at JCP.com to get Free Shipping!

BTW, if you buy something and don't like it, or it doesn't fit, you can return it to your nearest JCPenney store and not have to worry about the hassle of shipping it back!

Chit Chat: My First Blog Award

Theta Mom awarded me the "One Lovely Blog Award." What a nice surprise! I discovered Theta Mom's blog a few weeks ago. I look forward to her posts. She is warm, creative, encouraging, and funny!

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award" are:
Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here are my ‘newly’ discovered blogs:

• The Thrifty Home
• In the Trenches of Mommyhood--Sarah is the fearless organizer and leader of the September Shredders (make sure you stop by and visit each of the gals doing the September Shred. They all have some pretty amazing blogs too!)
• Raising my 4 Sons
• Web-Savy Mom
• Hope Studios
• Undercover Princess
• i am mommy
• Love & Olive
• Mission Mommy

Tasty Treat: Slopppy Joes

Mmm, Mmm Memory: Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes. They are fast, easy and inexpensive to make. For some reason, every time I make these, it makes me think of Halloween. I doubt we had these every Halloween, but I do remember my family sitting at the table eating dinner and eating sloppy joes before going out trick-r-treating. I couldn't tell you how old I was or what my costume was, I just remember we at these just once on Halloween...and they were Mmm, Mmm good!

Sloppy Joes


PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 35 Min

Servings 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 to 3/4 a green pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 to 3/4 a medium onion (chopped)
• 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
  
• salt
  
• pepper
  
• hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.
2. While the beef is browning, chop the green pepper and the onion.
3. Drain the grease from the beef, and mix all the ingredients together in the skillet.
   Let them simmer for 20-30 minutes (until the pepper and onion are soft).

September Shred: Day 7

I've survived 7 days of Jillian's torture! Well, truth be told, we went camping this weekend, so it has really 6 days of torture.

Tonight, I did the workout with Baby Boy. For some reason, he thought it was great fun to lay under me during the push ups, lay on top of me during the sit ups, bicycles, and every other core muscle exercise. I, on the other hand, did not find this great fun! I did find his antics a bit humorous, but not humorous enough to workout with him again for a long time.

Pop over to Shredding In September to see more of my journey and learn about the rest of the September Shredders!

Aspiring Photographer: Summer Then and Now

Photos of Baby Boy taken while camping and hiking last summer in contrast with photos taken camping and hiking this summer.

At only a couple month old, Baby Boy was always covered to avoid sunburn, and he was always carried on the front. He could have cared less if a chipmunk or bear crossed our path, as he slept through most the hike.


This year, hiking was quite the adventure for Baby Boy and whomever was carrying him. From kicking, hair pulls to sweet hugs and squeals from our passenger, there was never a dull moment. Baby Boy was very good at pointing out deer, chipmunks and whatever he saw!


Nap time was almost all the time last year. Baby Boy could crash out no matter where he was!


This year, it was all about playing and getting dirty (until Mommy had enough and corralled Baby Boy in the pack-n-play)!


Baby Boy at breakfast time! There's still a little oatmeal on his cheek.


Baby Boy in his sleeping bag. Last year, he slept in Mommy's sleeping bag.


We never would have got this shot last year, since Baby Boy was still riding backward!