HAPPY 7TH!

One of our family traditions is that I always take a picture the night before the kids' birthdays. 

This is Camden on his last night as a 6 year old.  After I took his picture he said, "You can go ahead an put that on facebook if you want to." 

Tonight he came out to the kitchen as I was finishing decorating his cake and handed me a penny.  He then said, "Here Mommy.  This is for all your hard work on my cake, all the cleaning, and all the presents you are gonna give me tomorrow."  Ha Ha!  And to think he hasn't even tasted the cake yet. 

Happy 7th Birthday sweet boy! 

5 QUESTION FRIDAY

School supply shopping and a birthday party for a young man are the inspiration today......

1.  When school shopping time comes around do you stick with buying the cheapest crayons and markers or does Crayola get you every time?

2.  What would you estimate you spend on school supplies each year?

3.  What is the best place you have ever had a party for your child?

4.  Homemade birthday cake or store bought cake?

5.  Trick candles or regular candles?

Time to decorate a cake and wrap some presents....Happy Friday!

GUESS WHO??

Guess who became a certified Red Cross babysitter today?

(also certified in Infant and Child CPR)

Sometimes it is absolutely surreal how quickly the time is flying by......

 

5 QUESTION FRIDAY

We love 5 question Friday here at Park Place!!  Feel free to share the fun on your own blog.  To make it easier for you to link back to Park Place I have created a button (on the sidebar).  Grab the button by copying the code underneath.  (If you need further instructions please contact me.)

1.  What book was better as a movie?
2.  What book was ruined as a movie?
3.  What does RSVP mean to you?
4.  Favorite breakfast bread/pastry/carb?
5.  I might have already asked this before but now I'm asking again!!  Who is your favorite food network/cooking channel personality??

Have a great weekend!!

OUR FAVORITES....SUMMER EDITION

Some of our summer favorites......

Flashy new iPhone cover

Kiwi Lemonade from Charley's Grilled Subs
Just different enough to make it a special treat.....very refreshing!

New nail color-Stormy (dark gray) by Revlon

New glossy (even when dry) top coat-by CND

Chocolate chex snack mix-our new favorite snack
Recipe below

Where the Red Fern Grows

Our favorite family out loud read this summer

(Very hard to read without crying!)

Bubble Gum flavored shaved ice from Hoagie's (120th & Blondo-for those in the area)
Shaved ice is NOTHING like a snow cone
but we will debate that in an upcoming blog post!

New neighbors and friends

Just the right age for my kids to have a lot of fun with this summer!

and last but not least

New artwork to decorate my Stonehenge Greige (gray) walls

The artists worked cheap.....supplies, room and board only!

See you tomorrow for 5 Question Friday!

Recipe for Chocolate Chex Mix:

8 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.

In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.

A NEW LOW.....

My purse obsession has been somewhat documented here (my top five).  I can't help it....I love a good bag.  However today I think I took it to an all new low.  We went into Claire's to get CM some headbands and yes, you guessed it......I bought myself a purse there. 

The only thing I can console myself with are CM's words to me as I was paying and mumbling something about not believing that I was actually buying this purse for myself......

"Don't worry mommy.  I don't think any kid would carry that purse anyway."  

Thanks.....strangely enough that helped.  

The Claire's purse

5 QUESTION FRIDAY....

1.  Women's World Cup Soccer......will you be watching on Sunday or not?

2.  If you were shopping in Menards and saw a 1 gallon jar of whole dill pickles for $2.98 would you buy them?

3.  What is something that seems to come easily for other people that you wish you could do?

4.  What is your favorite appetizer that you get at a restaurant?

5.  If you could hire somebody to do something for you for a week, what would you pick?

Have a great weekend friends!

DREAMING AND SHARING.....

Sitting here thinking tonight about all the girl names I'm never going to get to use........

Aubrey

Mallorie

Sydney

Laney

Darcy

and my very favorite......Delaney

I have generously given Delaney to several people and no one has ever taken me up on it, although I have heard it has made the final round a few times.

All of these names would have been paired with Lorraine (that was my Grandma's middle name). 

Love them all!

Now I'm generously giving them all to you......let me know if you take me up on any of them!!

As far as boy names go.....I've got nothing!  Boys names are hard!!

5 QUESTION FRIDAY

These are totally random today.........

1.  What is the best thing about meeting a new friend?
2.  Spray or lotion sunblock?
3.  What is the most inexpensive but fun activity you have done this summer?
4.  What is your favorite kind of pie?
5.  What are you reading right now?

REINTRODUCTION

So I have a few new people checking this blog out and I thought it might be time to redefine this space....as much for myself as for new friends. 

This is the place:

• where you will read stories about my kids and my husband and my extended family,
• where you will read stories about my experiences as a half stay-at-home mom and a half working mom,
• where you will read stories about funny things that happen to me, about my pet peeves, and about my political leanings.

Hopefully my faith will be woven between the lines of these stories. 

Simply stated, this is where you will read about LIFE and how it plays out with the things I love and am passionate about (after all it is my blog)! 

This blog also makes my parents feel like the thousands and thousands of dollars they spent on me getting a writing minor in college was worth it.....so there is that as well!

This is also the place where every Friday I get to ask you 5 questions and you get to answer the questions with a comment.  Did I mention that I love to get comments? 

But even if nobody ever commented, I would still write as this is now a fun little hobby and a lot cheaper than therapy!! 

So thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for 5 question Friday......

 

 

5 QUESTION FRIDAY

Which one is more July fourth-y to you?

1.  Brats or hamburgers
2.  Homemade ice cream or smores?
3.  Home display or city display of fireworks?
4.  Sparklers or no sparklers?
5.  Lake or parade?

Have a great weekend friends!