Good Buys

With this freeeeeeezing cold, snowy weather we have had the last few days, I am so glad I made a few recent purchases that have come in handy to keep things toasty and warm around here.


These performance fleece lounge pants I bought a few weeks ago from Old Navy are seriously like wearing an electric blanket around.

They are THAT warm. Every time I put them on I think - man, these are the comfiest pants I've ever owned and I wish I had about ten pairs of them and that they were totally socially acceptable to wear everywhere. I'm going to watch for some after Christmas sales and see if I can snatch up another pair or two. Since I have a little longer legs, I opted to buy these in the tall size and am so glad I did. Nothing is worse than short legged pajama pants. I like when I can curl my feet up inside them if my feet get cold. Is that weird? My feet are like ice this time of year. Anything to help keep them warm is good by me.


My other favorite thing is this Back to Basics Cocoa-Latte Hot Drink Maker.

It is awesome. For the last few years I've tried finding these in stores with no luck, and then a few weeks ago I found one on Amazon for a great deal. {I just looked this morning and they still have them marked way down with free shipping.} These are great because it automatically shuts off when it reaches the perfect temperature and then automatically reheats when needed. So if you want to keep it plugged in all day for convenience to have a warm drink when the need hits you, it's always ready and waiting. It also has a frothing button which really takes it from plain hot cocoa to sooooo much better. Our family has absolutely loved it so far and we've used it non-stop the last few days. The little recipe book that came with it has some delicious recipes we've been trying out and one of our favorites so far just uses milk, brown sugar, butter, and a little vanilla. It tastes like a hot milkshake. YUM!

Anywho, just thought these were some good ideas if you didn't already have some of things you could sneak onto your wish list for Santa.

*Post Edit - I forgot to include links for these items so here they are:

Hot Drink Maker

Fleece Lounge Pants

Had To Do It

The other day while browsing for baby items online, I came across this cute little number from Old Navy. I decided to splurge and get them because I could not get the image of our two cute little dumplings wearing these together out of my mind.






















Not many things are cuter than a chubby little face peeking out from under a hood with bear ears.



P.S. Do you use ebates? If not, you're missing out on earning cash back through online shopping. Currently through ebates you can receive 8% cash back on Old Navy online purchases. It is super easy to use. You can also find online discount/coupon codes for many stores and use those in conjunction with getting your cash back. Old Navy also has a deal on their website right now where you receive 15% off and free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

Holiday shopping

This time of year I try to avoid the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers. People start to get down right rude and pushy and it destroys my holiday mood, so I do a lot of my shopping online. Little things like stocking stuffers, and treats I'll buy from a store but most everything else I try to do from home. Isn't it great to be able to sit in a comfy chair, and browse to your hearts content without having to waste gas driving around and compete with other people for that last Polly Pocket doll house? Or worry about your baby having a poopy diaper in the check-out line? Most places have good shipping prices around the holidays and I love Old Navy's $5 shipping prices on your whole order. Last year I found some great deals on ebay (love it) and some of the college bookstore's websites for sporting gear, (my husband is a big WSU and Ohio State fan). Now I don't know about anyone else, but my favorite part of Christmas morning is going through my stocking. My mother would always do an awesome job of putting neat things in there. Now that I'm married, I have to say Riley puts together a pretty awesome one too. One cute place to get stocking stuffer ideas is here. They have tons of good ideas based on age and where you're shopping at, and people have submitted their own traditions and ideas. Check it out.

So I'm asking everyone: What are some of your favorite places to Christmas shop on the internet?

Custer's never let's me down

Yesterday was just one of those near perfect days. In the afternoon, my mother and my sister accompanied me to the Custer's Christmas bizarre at the TRAC. My mother and I go every year and it is always fun to see all of the crafts and Christmas items on display. It jump-starts the Holidays for me to hear the Christmas music playing and smell the wonderful smells. I always find something really cute for my home, and this year was no exception. I've been searching for that perfect little black table, and low and behold yesterday was my lucky day.
















Isn't it cute? What a steal, I couldn't believe it. Not only is it an exact fit for the little corner in my kitchen, but it looks like it was made to pair with my black shelf that hangs above it.

This table from a store would have been at least twice as much as what I got it for, so I couldn't have been happier. After leaving Custer's, we drove to the Country Mercantile to shop some more. They have a ton of Christmas decor and ornaments on display, and of course the yummiest selection of goodies for miles around. It took us a long time to get out of there because there were so many neat things to look at. It was hard for me to not come out of there with an armful of sweets, but I did come away with some clever stocking stuffers and these cute ornaments:

By this time we had really worked up an appetite, so we headed back to town and stopped at Cousins for dinner. We visited and took our time, and it was so relaxing to not have to rush around. My super husband had told me to take our time and go do whatever we wanted for however long we wanted. He really is a great guy (especially during hunting season when he knows he needs to butter me up) and takes good care of the children while I'm gone. Funny story I have to insert here- Since he was going hunting this morning he loaded the kids up in the car to go scout some birds. Kendle loves to go on these little adventures with dad. Then he was planning on taking them to Walmart because he needed to buy some more contact solution. Well, they drive out to the fields and he smells a dirty diaper in process. So he had to head back home and unload the kids to change Morgan. By that time, he lost his motivation to head to Walmart. I just had to laugh when he was telling me this after I got home, because isn't that so typical of when you are trying to go anywhere with a baby? Oh, the life of a mom.

Anywho, it was the best day I've had in a long time and I realized I need to do more things like this with my mom and the rest of the girls in my family. This time of year makes me want to be around my family as much as I can. We ended the day with lots of goodies, good ideas for future crafts, and some great memories.

This made my day

Doesn't it feel good to do a secret surprise for someone? That's what me and a few others did today. I hope the recipient liked it and that she had a great day.








On my way home, I stopped by the mail box and wouldn't you know it, I just had feeling it would be there today. Hurray!

Ikea is one of my most favorite places in the world, and now that they have opened a new store in Portland I can shop there tax free. Hurray again! When we moved into our house we bought a ton of stuff from the Ikea in Seattle and I'm amazed at how little we spent for how much we came away with. I'm glad they have a place to eat inside because I can spend hours and hours in that place. I just feel like I'm steeling every time I buy something from there because it's so cheap. Here are some things that I liked from the new catalog:

Aren't these cute storage boxes?

This storage bench is only 84.99

This measuring cup looks like a beaker from a science experiment:

This cute mug, coaster, and mini stirrer set would make me want to have hot cocoa every night:

This chair looks so fun:

These bibs are ingenious. Why couldn't I think of that?

Who doesn't love polka dots? These look like they would make cooking way more fun.

I love how Ikea's items are a little more funky and non-traditional and it makes me want to be braver with my decorating and not be afraid to try something new once in a while. OK, so now that I'm done doing a non-paid plug for the store, I better go so I can do my Oprah workout, (I pre-record the show and then watch it while I'm on the treadmill) and as an added bonus Kendle has soccer practice today so I will have one less child interrupting my O.W.

Hope you all had a great day as well!