Pre-Cruise 11/23/08 Downtown Disney

We started planning this trip in late 2007 with M's cousin and family. We decided to escape Thanksgiving this year and go on a cruise. We left for our trip at 6am on 11/23 and headed down to southern California. We decided to go a day early. We stayed at our favorite Anaheim hotel. We arrived at the hotel, unpacked and headed over to Red Robin for lunch. Then we went across the street to a Target to get last minute items (I forgot S's nail polish at home). Then we headed over to Downtown Disney. It was so nice to walk around without having to feel rushed to get back in the parks. T was in heaven at the Lego Store. I think we spent over a hour in there.

We also went to the Disney Store and M's cousin (D) and I were able to get some X-mas shopping done as soon as we had the guys take the kids outside for a bit.

Picture of M's cousin, D, her husband TC, and their kid's, R & S.

S being Silly!

Next we went back to our hotel and watched the fireworks! M & the kids spent a good 2 hours building things from the GREAT bargain grab bag ($7.99) from the Lego store!

More of our trip later!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We just got home late last night. I decided to have a relaxing day today (since it's my 41st b-day). I slept in until 9am which is late for me. My husband made me breakfast and then I went shopping all by myself while M & the kids straightened the house. Then my parents came out and took us to dinner. It was a nice way to spend my birthday! Look for more posts about our cruise tomorrow.

5th Annual Teddybear Tea Party

Today S & I attended our 5th annual Teddy Bear Tea Party in our town. This is something that we really enjoy doing. For the past 3 years we have been attending the tea with our friends from Discovery Bay. I really enjoy going to the tea with either my mom or mother in-law. This year, my mom came. She loved it! The tea consists of a sit down tea with a server. Our server was a high school senior who will be attending San Jose State next year. He was very nice! We had good food that consisted of muffins, these awesome chocolate filled croissants, cute egg salad, bacon & corn, and cucumber finger sandwiches, and mini cheesecakes, brownies and S's favorite, cream puffs! This year we even got to keep our Christmas china tea cup and saucer. We will get much use out of these during the Holidays! After our tea, we headed over to do crafts. And then S and her friend E went into the kids only shopping area. This is where they can shop for family/friends and they even wrap the presents too. S shopped for 6 people for only $8. What a bargain! (A few years back S decided she needed to buy herself a gift. She came out with a gift tag saying to S from S. We all got a big laugh about that, but she now knows better.)

My Mom, S & I

S & her friend E. (They have been friends since Day Care when they were babies and are only a few weeks apart.)

S's favorite decorated tree for the year because it's her favorite color.

Well, this will be my last time to say Happy Thanksgiving for a bit! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Look for some long posts when I return with pictures of our mini- Thanksgiving cruise.

OMG!

OMG!! I went to see Twilight this morning with 2 of my friends and one friends husband. All I can say is that I was just like a teenager and my friends were laughing at me making comments, sighs, and yes, crying! It was such a great movie! In fact, we didn't want to leave our seats and wanted to see it all over again! I know that some critics did not give this movie a good rating, but I believe that these critics did not even read the book. You need to read the book to appreciate the movie. I'm so looking forward to the next movie which they are already filming. Edward was so dreamy!! I'm still in la-la land! Hope you enjoyed the movie too!

Giveaways!

Sunday Baker is at it again with her awesome giveaways. This time it's all about the homemaker. Check it out and enter her giveaway by Thursday. Don't you love these adorable gloves!

I can't Wait! Tickets already purchased

I hate it when that happens

I found a really great recipe for lemon lavender shortbread cookies about a month ago. I searched and searched for culinary dried lavender and finally found some in Cost Plus. S and I decided to try out the recipe last night. They smelled so yummy with the lemon and the lavender scents combined. We waited and waited for them to cool off. Then we tried them. YUCK!! They did not taste what I was hoping for. The lavender was so strong and not to my liking. Oh, well. Live and Learn! I think I will stick to my normal chocolate chip, snicker doodles, Russian tea, and peanut butter cookies!

Stocking Stuffers and Giveaways

Check out this blog . Sunday Baker has an awesome Girly Stocking Stuffer giveaway!

I love stockings and have loved them since a kid. My Mom would find the most unique and very girly stuff for my sister and I. This has always been my favorite thing! I start shopping for cute and unique things to fill my kid's and hubby's stockings around August. I try to find things that are multi-gender since I have both a boy and a girl, but I love the girly things!

Do you have things that you always buy to fill stockings, year after year.? I always fill my kid's stockings with socks, underwear, a new toothbrush, and their favorite candy. My hubby always gets a bag M & M Peanut's. I always try to get my kids stuff that they are currently into. This year I have found some cool stuff at the Dollar Stores. I can't say what I've found because my son reads my blog on a regular basis.

Do you buy too much stuff that it will not fit in the stocking? I do! Every year I try to not buy too much, but I do! I guess I just love all the little stuff!

Do you have any cool ideas cool ideas of things to add to stockings?

Easy, Cheesy, Yummy Recipe!

Inspired by a posting in blog-land, I made an easy dinner last night! I modified the original recipe just a bit. It was so Yummy that 3 of the 4 of us had seconds. (sorry no picture; everyone starting eating before I could take a picture).

Easy Cheesy Chicken
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Cheddar cheese soup
1 taco seasoning packet
1 cup sour cream
Fritos chips

Mix the 3 cans of soup and taco seasoning in a crock pot. Add the chicken. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours in the crock pot. Take chicken out of crock pot and shred with fork. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot into the sauce. Right before ready to serve, add sour cream and turn crock pot to warm setting. Serve on rice or noodles. Crush a few Fritos chips and add to top of chicken.

Hope you enjoy!

I can't believe I won!

I can't believe I won Sunday Baker's Blog Apron Giveaway!! I decided on the red one on the right (see picture below). The apron will be for my S, who wants to be a chef when she grows up! If you know S please don't say anything because I might give it to her for Christmas. I'm so excited because the apron is sooo cute and S will get lots of use of of it instead of wearing one of my old ones. Check out Stitchygirl's great Etsy shop here! Great ideas of Christmas presents!

YEAH!!

Great Giveaways!

Check out these great giveaways at Sunday Baker's blog. The aprons are adorable. I might have to get one for S since she loves to cook.

She also has great cooking recipes. T loves her Taco Ring recipes!! Check out her awesome, creative candy turkey! Great stuff! Check it out!! I hope you win!

Halloween Week of Fun!!

Wow! What a great, jam-packed, fun week!

It started with 5th Grade DARE Graduation for T.

Then a school Halloween Dance!

Then pumpkin carving! S actually did most of the carving all by herself this year! T's was his own design; a Star War's storm trooper. (see pics toward end of the post)

Then creating curls for S's Elizabeth Swan (pirates of the Caribbean) costume! (first time for me! not very good with hair)




Then the Halloween parade at school.



T and Alice from Twilight!
With a little time in between the parade and volunteering in class, I headed over here for my much awaited pumpkin muffin and a cup of coffee (I look forward to these muffins every year; they are my favorite! cream cheese, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, oh my!!)


After school, we made some awesome, easy Carmel apples (inspired from Our Best Bites)! Rolled in chopped up Peanut M & M's (m's favorite!), snickers and Reese's peanut butter cups! So, so yummy!! Then we headed to T's best friend's birthday party. Yes, his birthday is on Halloween! He's the Freddie below. We had lots of pizza and treats and then the birthday party headed to the Red Bridge Community for Trick or Treating. (loved trick or treating in Red Bridge; this was our first time going here. Loved the small hometown feel of the streets, great decorations, and felt very safe. M made it home in time to go with us. We had so much fun!


T was a Domino's pizza delivery man! M used to work for Domino's when he was in high school back in the 80's. M kept his pizza warming container, his hat and shirt, but we could only find the warming container. So, I went over to our local Domino's and asked if I could borrow a hat and shirt for T's costume. His costume was such a hit! He used the warming box for his candy while trick or treating. When people opened their doors, they would say either, "I would like a pizza with cheese, sausage, etc.. or "How did you know I was just about to order a pizza!". It was too funny! A couple of his friends said they are going to be this next year.

Then we headed home (8:30pm) to quickly put out our pumpkins and hope for a few trick or treaters to show up. We only had 2 sets come to the door, but the last set was our old day care provider's daughter and we were all excited to see her!

After yesterday's 2 soccer games in the rain, lunch with my parents, and a end of season soccer party, I'm enjoying a relaxing day with just S. Since M & T are on their way to a Raider Game with my father in-law and one of our good friends. (M's old boss hooked them up with club level seats).