Our Weekend

This weekend was so nice and seemed busy, but very relaxing as well. On Friday, after going to the doctor and they found nothing wrong with my ear, I decided to go ahead and upgrade my iPhone. I got a 5S, and I love it! On Friday night, Harper, Clint's Aunt Debbie and I went to Dazzle Daze to do some browsing/shopping. We had fun, although Harper had enough after about 45 minutes-1 hour. We did get to sample some yummy treats though while we were there :)

On Saturday morning, we ran over to TJ Maxx. I have been looking for a console/cabinet for my breakfast area, and I found one that I really liked! We went ahead and got it, and it looks really good with all of my other decor. Now, I've just got to decide what I want to put on top of it- lamps or some other type of knick-knack decor item?

I also put up my Christmas tree and decorations on Saturday, and Harper has already broken one ornament. Oh well, I figured we would have a time trying to keep her out of the tree. I guess I just need to move all of the breakable ornaments to the top and the plastic ones to the bottom! I do like how my tree turned out though, and I love how it "lights up the room." I didn't put as many ornaments as I usually do because I knew Harper would be into them.

On Sunday, we went to Church in the FREEZING COLD weather, and then Clint and I went to see the new Hunger Games movie. It was super good! I loved that it was really long and seemed to follow the book pretty closely. I can't wait for the next movie to come out next November :) I may have to reread the book to remind myself of what happens!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! Make sure to really soak in all that time with your families and loved ones. I know that life is hectic, and it's hard sometimes to really relax and enjoy those around you.

Five on Friday

1. I'm planning to put all of my Christmas decorations up this weekend! I don't typically like to do it until the weekend after Thanksgiving but since Thanksgiving is later this year, I'm going to go ahead. I did find this cute idea to use tomato cages and deco mesh to make Christmas trees. I'm hoping I can replicate this and put them on my front porch :)

2. Conway has an annual holiday shopping event/fundraiser called Dazzle Daze very year. It started last night and goes through tomorrow, so I'm excited to go to that event tomorrow and look at all the cool booths. I'm not sure that I'll buy a lot, but it will get me in the Christmas spirit!

3. I think Harper is cutting her molars or something because she has had a runny nose, pulling at her ear, drooling and just not acting like she feels 100% for a week or two now. I'm ready for her to get back to her happy, healthy, feeling good self :)

4. The weather is so crazy here. It was 80 degrees this past Sunday, and now they are calling for the highs to be around 45 starting tomorrow! That is what makes everyone sick!!

5. I think that I take my good health for granted. Rarely am I sick, and I have been having issues with my right ear for about 2 weeks now. The doctor said I had fluid in it, I got a shot and some over the counter medicine, and it's still no better. I'm heading to the ENT doctor today to hopefully get some better news and relief. Ever since this started I have just felt kinda blah, and I'm ready to get back to my normal self! When I do get sick with something, I think to me it feels so much worse than it really is because it's unusual.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Ebates

Today, I wanted to make everyone aware of a great website that I found out about quite a while ago. I will say that I forget to use it all the time, but I thought it was the perfect time to introduce to everyone with holiday shopping season officially here!

You can join Ebates for free. All you do is sign up on their website at Ebates.com! Then- before you make a purchase online- make sure you log in to your account, choose the store you are shopping at, and the website will automatically take you to your website of choice for you to finish your shopping and purchases! Then, once a quarter, Ebates will send you a check for the amount of cash back you have earned. It's that easy! I've been a member for about a year or so and have actually gotten several checks, so I know it works.

On another note, we had another laid back weekend. I wasn't feeling well on Friday night and Saturday, so we just lounged around the house and napped. On Sunday, we went to Church and played outside since it was 80 degrees here! We are supposed to get back down to normal temps for this time of year as the week goes on though.

Have a great week!

Five on Friday- Places I Want To Go

Today, I decided to list five places that I want to travel to in my lifetime. I'm a major homebody, but I also like to travel sometimes to see new places, people, things and historical sites!

1. Greek Islands

I would LOVE to do a cruise through the Greek Islands someday. I am obsessed with Santorini and have always wanted to go there ever since seeing the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants :)

2. Italy

I went to Rome back in 2005 and loved it. I would also love to go back and see several of the other cities and wine country. There's so much history and architecture to see there.

3. Lake Tahoe

I see pictures of Lake Tahoe all the time, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. I think it would be such a fun and relaxing place to go in the summer. It would also be somewhere that I feel like would be kid friendly, so that's a huge bonus!

4. New York City

I mean, who doesn't want to go to New York City? Clint and I both have wanted to go for several years; we just want to be able to go when we can really spend some money and enjoy all there is to see. I feel like it's so huge that you need to plan a long trip there (and probably go back several times)!

5. Hawaii/Fiji

I want to go to both places, so I grouped them together :) I have always heard how absolutely beautiful Hawaii and Fiji both are, and I'm a sucker for anywhere with a beach and crystal clear water. 

Recipe- Beef Stroganoff

Another yummy recipe for you today! I do want to say that not all of the recipes I post are my own. Some I have found online, and some are other family member's specialties :) I do want to share all of my favorites though, so you can enjoy too!

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 slices velveeta cheese

1 soup can of milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown your hamburger meat until cooked through. Combine all ingredients in saucepan and cook until boiling. Simmer for about 10 minutes longer and serve over rice or noodles! Simple and delicious!

A Low-Key Weekend

We had such a nice weekend just relaxing and spending time with each other. Friday night, we ordered Mexican takeout and caught up on some of our shows. On Saturday, we made a quick trip to the grocery store and hung around the house for the rest of the day. Clint did some work outdoors, and Harper and I went outside with him to play. I cooked dinner on Saturday night, and we lounged some more! Sunday consisted of Church, afternoon naps and playing outside again. I really think these are the best kinds of weekends :)

I was going to wait to put my Christmas decorations up until the day after Thanksgiving but after I realized that the "Christmas Holiday period" was a little shorter this year, I think I've decided to decorate next weekend. It seems like so much work to put it all up, and I really want to be able to enjoy it for at least a month or so. I'm not sure how Harper is going to react to the tree. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of telling her "no" and "stay out of the tree." I bet she will love all the lights, glitter and presents though :)

Hope you all have a great week! Here's the beautiful sunrise on my way to work this morning (no, I wasn't driving!).

Five on Friday- Harper's Christmas List

Harper and I had a good talk last night, and she told me everything she wanted to ask for from Santa for Christmas :)

1. Radio Flyer Trike

Harper adores her Radio Flyer wagon she got for her birthday, so I know she would love this for next Spring/Summer.

2. Melissa & Doug Puzzles

I think that the Melissa & Doug brand has the best and cutest puzzles. Harper already has several of them, but I found several more that I think would be great additions.

3. Fisher Price Servin' Surprises Kitchen Table Accessories

Harper got the Servin' Surprises kitchen table for her birthday as well and loves to play with it. She can have even more fun with all the accessories!

4. Fisher Price Magna Doodle

I remember having one of these when I was a kid, and I think Harper would have so much fun with one of these. It would also be a good thing to take to Church to entertain her!

5. Melissa & Doug Art Easel and Accessories

Harper may be a little young for this at Christmas, but I know that she would love it as she gets older.

Recipe- Creamy Tacos

Today, I wanted to share a delicious, yummy recipe that is great for the cold weather that's starting to set in!

1 1/2 lbs hamburger meat, browned with onion

1 can rotel

1 can chili beans

1 can chili (NO beans)

16 ounces Velveeta cheese

16 ounces heavy whipping cream

Brown hamburger meat with onions and a little salt. Drain any grease and add the remaining ingredients in the order listed above. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve as a taco salad over chips, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocado, etc.!

Halloween Pictures

Sorry for the delay, but I got our Halloween pictures uploaded yesterday so that I could share today!

This is Clint and his cousin. Their little girl is almost exactly 8 months younger than Harper. We live in the same neighborhood with only two houses between us, so I bet these two girls will be great friends soon!

Clint's grandma is obsessed with Harper and thinks she's the best thing in the whole entire world, so of course, we had to go trick-or-treat at GiGi's house!

We had a fun weekend as well. We went to my company's Family Picnic on Saturday afternoon, and Harper loved seeing all the people and kids and being able to run around in a new place. Clint and I went to eat on Saturday night, and then watched the second half of the Razorback game. I was so tired from a long and busy week, that I just relaxed and milled around the house yesterday, aside from a quick trip to Walmart. Thanks goodness for gaining an hour yesterday! It made the day seem nice and long :) What I'm not looking forward to is driving home in the dark every night now!

Five on Friday

I cannot believe it is already November! This year has just flown by. Although I love the Holiday season, I just wish I could push the pause button every once in a while to just "sit back and smell the roses."

1. We didn't quite do the trick-or-treating that we planned last night. We were going to go visit family, and then go to a few houses in our neighborhood. Once we headed out though and made our three stops, it was already almost bedtime for Harper and she was getting really sleepy. I haven't been out on Halloween in years and I'm just going to say, it's was SO BUSY! I can't believe how crowded the roads were and how many kids (and adults) were out and about. I didn't have time to upload all of my pictures from last night, but my plan is to get them posted on Monday.

2. I'm excited to say that I already have all of my Christmas shopping DONE! I know, crazy right? I LOVE giving gifts, so I always know way ahead of time what I want to buy for those on my shopping list. I also like to just really sit back and enjoy the Holiday season without having to worry about getting out and shopping every weekend. Isn't this an adorable idea that you could give to your friends for Christmas?

3. I'm an avid reader, although I don't get to read as much anymore as I used to. It really happens in phases. I'll get really into a book and finish it in 2-3 days; then I won't read again for three months. If any of you are readers though and haven't read the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, you should. It's different and a little on the futuristic/sci-fi side, but it's really good. I just finished the last book of that series yesterday.

4. We were originally going to go to the Razorback game in Fayetteville this weekend but decided not to. We just really weren't that excited about going and wanted to spend the weekend all together since Clint is off tomorrow and Sunday. I ended up being able to sell our tickets and instead, we are going to go to the annual Family Picnic that my company does each year. It's always really fun with games, face painting, rides, bingo and good food. The weather is supposed to be really pretty, and I think Harper will love getting to run around and see all the people and kids.

5. This is what the house looks like when Daddy keeps Harper before Mommy gets home. Haha- now I know why he calls me when I'm about halfway home to ask how far away I am. He's gotta get the house picked up!