I WON!!!

How exciting is this...

I follow this blog- SISTERSSTUFF and of course went browing through it and saw the latest post about these clips.  I had to start following a different blog, leave a comment about what I'd like to win and leave my email address.  I certainly did that and this is what I said:

I would LOVE to win the two vintage zipper clips. I've seen plenty of those clips/headbands and keep wondering where the "flower" for them even comes from. SUPER cute idea!!! :)


Well I check my email the next day or so and see the title as WINNER! so I don't hesitate to open it.  It proceeded to tell me that I won the give away for the clips.  I thought it was pretty fun that I won these clips.  It never hurts to try for something you think you won't win and then you all of a sudden hear back and you've won.  It was an early Merry Christmas presest from SISTERSSTUFF!!!  YAY!!! 

Thanksgiving crafts...

I TOTALLY forgot to put in my Thanksgiving/Trifle post that I not only made a Pumpkin Trifle but also did lots of crafts with my niece Rylee throughout the month to celebrate that Thanksgiving was coming.  We made turkeys, tee-pee place cards,  an Indian tiara, a Pilgrim hat, a necklace full of leaves, and a colorful turkey.  Holiday crafts are SO super fun and there are ideas for them everywhere.  I found all these online of course, besides the Indian tiara- I thought of that one, and the turkeys that I found at Joann, Hobby Lobby or Michael's- can't remember from where.  Rylee had fun with them all, just like ALL the crafts we do together.

Rylee's Pilgrim hat.  She colored ALL over it

but you can't see since the flash blocked it

and I didn't think to look and get

a different picture...

We wrote on the ribbon together, with

puffy pain, for her Indian tiara

with what Rylee is thankful for.

Rylee's thankful for "my Ama, my Ray Ray,

my Papa, my Daddy, my Mommy."

Cute little turkey's we glued together...

Rylee's tee-pee place card for her spot at the table...

All the tee-pee place cards where we were all sitting...

Rylee's necklace full of leaves...

The turkey Rylee colored.  You can tell the markings I made

on there with her...

GOBBLE up some trifle...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

My Thanksgiving this year was pretty low-key and simple.  It was a gathering of my immediate family- dad, step-mom, brother-in-law, niece, and sister.  We were missing 2 of my brothers.  My big brother was in California- where I was last year with our mom and brothers & other family memebers; little brother was in Georgia- Army home.  I certainly did miss my brothers this year and it seemed weird without them!  We usually have other family members over but not this year.  It was less chaotic with all the others we usually have: cousins and friends. 

We had the normal- honey baked ham: my favorite, turkey and of course all the fixins like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, celery with cheese & peanut butter; broccoli, cheese & rice dish; etc. etc. etc.  It was quite delicious and boy was I ever so full.  Of course there's dessert afterwards and I told myself I'm not gonna have any since I was stuffed.  Well that didn't help too much and I didn't trick myself into not having any of my favorite thing: PUMPKIN PIE!!!  I can't have a Thanksgiving dinner without ending it with pumpkin pie.  I usually bring other desserts so we can all have different options for our sweet tooths.

 

I looked online for Thanksgiving desserts I've never had or made and came across this Pumpkin Trifle.  I got this trifle bowl awhile back because I came across it at an awsome price and assumed I'll make a trifle someday since I never have.  Once I discovered this recipe I thought "I just have to give this one a try and see how it goes."  I think it actually turned out just fine for my first time of making a trifle.  Here it is...



INGREDIENTS:

FINISHED PRODUCT of my 1st trifle:

PUMPKIN TRIFLE...

Ingrediants-

1 package (14-1/2 ounces) gingerbread cake mix

1-1/4 cups water
1 egg
4 cups cold fat-free milk
4 packages (1 ounce each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water and egg, beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. When completely cooled, crumble the cake. Set aside 1/4 cup crumbs for garnish.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in pumpkin and spices until well blended.

In a trifle bowl or 3-1/2-qt. glass serving bowl, layer a fourth of the cake crumbs, half of the pumpkin mixture, a fourth of the cake crumbs and half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with reserved cake crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. Yield: 18 servings.

Finally won the battle...

YIPPEE!!! It's like I finally got the GOLDEN TICKET!!! I saw this commercial about some mouse trap that I have't seen before and had the thought of "I so need to go get that kind of trap so I can get the critter out of my house since the other one isn't working." I couldn't quite remember what it was called so I just googled mouse traps. One popped up that seemed like that's what it was called. It told me where to get it at so I made my way to Ace. The one I was looking for was there but just not the type I was looking for. So I didn't get that brand but couldn't leave without not purschasing a new trap that will hopefully work. I ended up get the D-Con kind hoping that it will get the critter. So there goes some peanut butter into it and I just wait and wait until I think I see the critter into the "house". I wake up the next morning and anxiously look in the "house" and see the little guy! YATZEE!!! The funny thing is that it didn't smell like a dead mouse so I was sure it was dead but my eyes saw it and it wasn't moving so it was definately a dead mouse. I wasn't excited about having to pick it up and dispose of it and maybe smell dead mouse the next day. Luckily it was trash day so I dropped it into the big trash can and took it to the trash pick up spot. Not honna lie, I did feel a little sad for the little guy and a little bad for murdering it but not so terribly sad and more excited that the guy is finally out of my house since I HATE those things so much. Mission finally accomplished since it's been maybe a year of me hating it and feeding it. PHEW!!!

New phone...

Taking my phone to a T-Mobile store is like getting a new phone and having to re-boot everything on it again. It's kinda fun but takes forever to get it all back to how it was. I do actually want a new phone though but boy aren't they pricey. Should I or shouldn't I? Such decisions...

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BOO...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Halloween this year was quite fun, like always.  Didn't have a party to go to this year so didn't really plan out a costume to wear.  Had some thoughts but didn't use them.  For one of my running clubs it was the last run of the season so we were all supposed to dress up.  My friend Lori had the idea to be Broncos fairies to be in the spirit of the season.  I thought the idea was super cute so went along with it.  I found some orange socks for us to wear with our blue shirts that we made that co-insided with our favorite players on the team.  Lori came up with the sayings and I LOVED 'em!!!  Her favorite player is Eddie Royal and mine is Champ Bailey.  My other friend already had a costume in store to dress up with her salon and was a fairy of some sort as well.

Since it was my first time having the kids in my neighborhood come to my door and say "trick or treat", I figured it'd be fun to dress up.  I couldn't really think of anything good so I asked my best friend's 5 year old daughter, my niece, what she thinks I should dress up as.  She came up with Fancy Nancy.  We looked through her book and decided on this outfit.  I thought it was cute and certainly found the prefect dress at a local thrift store.  It worked out well and I even got some compliments on it from some girl trick or treaters.  It was fun to answer my door to the kids in my neighborhood.

Halloween cookies & pumpkin carving...

I planned on bringing some goodies with me to the pumpkin carving party but ran out of time before I had to go.  Since I already got all the stuff to make 'em I decided to make 'em the next day and give 'em to family.  They're some eye ball cookies that looked good so I decided to make 'em.  I got the M & M's for the pupils so they can be blue, brown, and green.  They ended up being some yummy cookies and looked cute.

All of us girls got in the spirit of Halloween and got together to do some pumpkin carving.  They all turned out super good and it was a fun night to get together with your girlfriends in the spirit of Halloween.  There's  a dracula, ghosts, haunted house, spooky tree, pirate, and a freeky spider.  They all turned our super good!!!

Mine is the Haunted House. 

It was classified as a 4 out 5 star level of hard to do. 

Haven't ever done one that hard but it was still FUN

and I think it turned out pretty good!!!