My poor neglected blog

It's been a while since I've posted...way to long. The project that I was working on at work back in November and December (the one that was supposed to be finished in December), well, I'm still working on it. Sigh. My vendor severely under bid the project and has lost a lot of money on it.

My family life has been just as busy. In late-January, we found out we were pregnant with Baby #2, another boy. We're due in mid-September. We are very excited, and can't wait for the arrival.

In late-March, we moved closer to where my husband works and goes to school. I really can't say that I recommend a move in the middle of your first trimester; especially if you have a very active toddler to keep up with! It seems that we spent all of February and March getting ready for the move, and then all of April and May getting our old house ready to rent.

I now commute 1 hour and 10 minutes to work, which stinks, but I don't have much longer to commute. July 30th is my last day, and I will be a SAHM. I am very excited to be home with my babies. I'm already checking out FREE things to do in the area.

Hopefully, I will have more time to give attention to this blog after I am home. In August, I plan to get the nursery ready, get the 'big boy room" ready for Baby Boy's (who's changed from being a sweet cuddly baby into a Wild Thing), and stockpile my freezer with some meals for after Baby #2 arrives.

Do you have some favorite freezer recipes to share? Leave a comment and post a link if you do.

Snow Day

It's snowing again, which reminded me of the pictures I captured a few weeks ago when it snowed. Here's my favorite one!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Were you brave enough to shop black Friday? Did you get any amazing deals?

I have a confession, I did not shop either of those deal packed days!

To me Black Friday seems like torture (I don't like shopping, especially in crowds). I love a good deal, but I also place a value on my time, and I personally feel that if you average the time you spend shopping and standing in line and charge yourself for that, then the deals are just average. However, for the first time in my adult life, I felt a twinge of remorse yesterday. I complimented one of the girls I work with on her shirt. She said she got it shopping at Kohls on Friday, and then she showed me the cutest coat ever and said it was only $7.99 and...it was reversible!

Cyber Monday could be a shopping alternative for me, but I work, have an 18 month old to take care of, and have a husband that is back in school. The Mondays after Thanksgiving are frequently chaos...both personally and professionally (Yes, it's hard for a girl to drag herself out of bed and into the office after a 4-day weekend, and since this is my busy time at work who has time to check out deals online). I wouldn't even know where to begin.

That really cute $7.99 jacket is making me rethink my lack of participation in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Would you help prepare me for next year? My questions to all the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping veterans out there are...

• What was your best deal?
  
• What are you tips to a newbie Black Friday shopper for how to survive?
• With the plethora of emails and advertisements, how do you get the very best Cyber Monday deals?
  

I've added a McLinky below. If you have a post that answers one of these questions, feel free to link up (use the title of your post as the link). If you didn't blog about your deals, then leave a comment.

The Best Christmas Parade I Never Saw!

Over the weekend, we drove up to Estes Park. They always do an amazing Christmas lights parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving (or so I have heard). I have wanted to see this parade since I first learned of it. I thought it would be fun, and that Baby Boy would enjoy it. I talked hubby into going, and we called some friends and all trekked up the mountain.

We arrived in Estes at around 3:45. Plenty of time to park, grab a quick bite to eat, and find a seat (or so we thought). Turns out this is a really, really popular parade, and all the restaurants were packed (Starbucks had the longest line I've ever seen!). All the spaces on the curb along the parade route were claimed.

So we grabbed a bench at the best place we could see...and waited...and waited...and waited! 5:30 came, and no sign of the parade, but Baby Boy was getting fussy (and hungry). 5:35 came, Baby Boy was even more fussy and there was still no sign of the parade.

We decided that we must have been at the end of the route, and that we should have time to go in and grab a quick bite to eat and then catch the end of the parade. We went inside our favorite pizza place, and got seated immediately. We ate, and then we went back outside at exactly 6:30. What did we see? Lots and lots of red tail lights!

We completely missed the parade! What a bummer! I guess there is always next year for the parade in Estes! Luckily this parade was early enough in the season that we can always catch another one in the area.


*Picture borrowed off the Estes Park Visitor Bureau website.

Great Offer: JCPenneys Coupon

This coupon is almost too good to be true! $10 off any single purchase at JCPenney totaling $25 or more! You can use it from November 18 to November 23 (online, in the store, and through the catalog). This coupon is a great excuse to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping!