Spring is coming!

I love change. (I constantly rearrange things, sometimes it works other times... eh, not so much! lol.) Spring is coming and that is a GREAT change! I won't have to obsessively check the Snoqualmie pass for Friday's upcoming drive to exchange kids, there won't be days upon days of keeping the kids inside because it's too cold out, and it will be lighter longer meaning more fun!

I can't wait to get outside and do yard work, fix up my play areas, wash my own car, ride bikes outside, have pic-nics, walk to the park, play in the sunshine and on and on!

Yay for Spring. :)

Life Lessons: Cleansing Face Masks

When a face mask states there is time limit for leaving the mask on your face, it is not a suggestion. Failure to follow said directions may result in a slightly painful and very red chemically burned face.

Lesson learned!

Pretty Great Day!!

Another GREAT Saturday for the Ray Family!!

• Build and Grow, we made music boxes with a Valentine theme.

• Lunch at Red Robin, kids did amazing, and were super psyched to get balloons.

• Fred Meyer to play in the Kids Zone and then we headed over to the bakery department to decorate little personal cakes to take home and eat.

• Came home to visit with Mimi, Auntie Shel and Gramma Romm. (more like we terrorized them while they trying to play settlers!!)

• Made some Valentine Cards... going to finish them tomorrow. :)

• Over to GG's to see the 3 new baby horses. 

• Home for dinner and a show before bedtime. 

Oh, how I LOVE these kinds of days!!

Couponing

I have been wanting to coupon for a long time. I have been talking about it for a few months now, and I finally started. The first time I tried a cashier was really rude to me (rolled her eyes, sighed really loud, argued with me) I ended up putting away the rest of my coupons and paid full price for things.

Then a couple weeks later I decided I wasn't going to let her stop me from saving money and having fun. Pretty sure she was just jealous anyway. 

I had been spending $200 saving $12. Spending $100 saving $8. It was taking a lot longer to cut coupons and lay out my shopping plan then I was saving, it didn't seem to be worth it. But I kept at it because it was fun searching for the deals and seeing how much money I could save. (I love money!) And today..... I  FINALLY saved more money than I spent! HOORAY FOR ME. Now, I am not one of those extreme couponers that spend $15 and save $500. That is not me. Not yet. But I am getting there.

Today I spent: $31.46 and saved $39.13.

I know it's the not greatest thing ever, but it's so amazing to me!! :)  I can't wait to look back on this post in a year so I can compare my shopping trips!!

Super Saturday!!

The kids, Mimi and I have had one SUPER day!!! First we went to Lowe's to Build and Grow

it was an awesome game box with a chalkboard attached, it came with little games, chalk and a die too! My kids are already storing extra little treasures in it!

then it was off to McDonald's to eat happy meals and play on the toys.

a big treat these days, we have a lotta penny pinching going on so to get more than just fries for a snack is a special thing!

 Later we enjoyed a visit from our Auntie Shel,

always fun to see our auntie, funny though... after she left Marley was asking for Nate not Auntie Shel. lol.

 then went to watch Uncle Jesse and Uncle Dylan's basketball game

they won by ALOT. Somewhere around 61 to 30. Which means Uncle Jess didn't get to play much but it was fun anyways!... and I couldn't have asked for better behaved children. Score.

and while we were there we had popcorn and pop!

Two special treats in one day?!! How amazing is that! :)

Then it was home to eat dinner and have a dance party.

I have always loved dance parties, but my kids take the fun to a whole new level. Love, love, love dance parties with my kids. They crack me up and teach me some new moves!

After that we had frozen GoGurts and watched a movie... in Daddy's bed!! lol.
It was a Christmas movie, Quinn will not let Christmas end. Every day we pull into the driveway he asks me why I took our Christmas lights down and he tells me "no, it's christmas time, santa a coming back" haha. funny boy!

Hooray for Super Saturdays!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Yay 2011.

I am loving this new year. I realize it's only day 2, but so far I am accomplishing my main goal for this year... which is:  "To do the things I talk about doing". :) I have such good intentions and some really great ideas if only I would follow through with them... so,  I AM GOING TO!  In fact I have already done just that, three times!

I finally started my Girls Only Brunch Club. Our first official club meeting was at Olive Garden, wearing sweatpants. It was a blast. Only three other people came (and one of them was Shellie!), but it was New Year's Day -- so it was alot to ask people! haha. The four of us "Original Brunchers" had such a blast-- we all spent way too much on not so healthy food, and LOVED it. lol. I think we all advertised how great it was and joked about randomly discussed topics of brunch on our facebook pages, that we have a following now. I have high hopes for our next one!!

My second thing was to actually have our family dinner at the dinner table. It was amazing too. We had roast beef cooked in a sauteed mushroom and onion sauce, angel hair pasta, string beans, frog eye salad and deviled eggs. De-lish. I should be able to do it once a week. Fingers crossed for more, but I will be estatic with just Sundays.

Lastly, I did a small act of service each day. Can't tell you what they were or it's not service... it's bragging. :)

Hooray for the New Year and a New Me!!! :)

Christmas Advent Calendar

This year I decided to do an advent calendar for Christmas. So much fun!! Here is a list of the activites we did this time.

Day 1: Popcorn, Sprite and the Dora Christmas movie in Mimi's Bed. Then playing "Freeze!" after. (Not what was planned, but when you are offered a kid-free grocery run you improvise! lol)

Day 2: Christmas Countdown Chain, holiday music and homemade apple pie!!

Day 3: Green Rice Krispy Treat Trees with Red Sprinkles!! What a fun Christmas Treat, the kids LOVED it... so did mommy. :)

Day 4: Gingerbread people then Glue and Glitter Snowflakes! 

Day 5: Made green "white caramel" popcorn and go through closets and drawers to find clothes and shoes that we don't use or no longer fit us to donate to the Homeless Shelter later this week.



Day 6: Put up our Christmas Tree and get started decorating the house for the Holidays!! :) I say get started because it's going to be a 3 day process for sure!!



Day 7: Charlie Brown Christmas Movie and warm chocolate chip cookies! :)



Day 8: Put up our outside Christmas lights and decorations, then a cup of mimi's hot chocolate delight (hot chocolate, marshmellows and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Yummy!!) then Christmas books before bed. :)



Day 9: Snow (Muddy) Buddies and Handprint Reindeer Headbands


Day 10: Christmas craft was a bust (too advanced for my little ones to really enjoy), but they had a great time doing a little indoor sledding then eating homemade popcorn, with chocolate chips and marshmellows! :)
 
Day 11: Visit Santa and his Reindeer!! Then home to make No Bake (Reindeer Poop) Cookies ... Seriously fun, even with whinny kids! :)
 
Day 12:  Made some AWESOME puffy paint Christmas T-shirts and ate Christmas M&M chocolate chip cookies!!!




Day 13: Read book "Santa Letters" then write our own.

Day 14: Family Night at the Movies!! Tangled here we come :)

Day 15: Christmas Fridge Magnets and Mimi's Monster Cookies!! :)




Day 16: Christmas Sun Catchers

Day 17: Toilet Paper Roll Snowmen

Day 18: Snickerdoodles and 'Shrek the Halls' Movie. :)


Day 19: Foam Ornaments

Day 20: Diego Saves Christmas with Holiday Popcorn Tin

Day 21: Night Before Christmas Book

Day 22: Bake LOTS and LOTS of holiday goodies.

Day 23: Deliver Christmas treats to neighbors and family.

Day 24: Christmas Eve Dinner and pajama presents.
Day 25: CHRISTMAS DAY!!

(Day 26: Day II of opening presents with the 1/2 siblings)

What a great Holiday season. It was so so much fun!! I need to incorporate a little more religion into the celebration of it all next time, but for my first time trying I would say it was a success!!! Can't wait til next Christmas!