The First Sleepover Of Summer

What girl doesn't love a sleepover?

My girls ask for them just about every week.

And just about every week, I say no.

Because while all girls love sleepovers, moms do not.

But since school was out for the summer, and because I have to earn some 'fun mom' points right out of the gate, this time, I said YES!

Here are some highlights:

Before their friends arrived, my girls helped me make double doozie cookies for an after dinner treat.

Addy and her friend, Rachel, being silly...which is mostly what they do all the time.

We did 'make-your-own-pizza' for dinner and the girls loved it!

Super Girl really enjoyed the cookies for dessert!

Faith and her friend, Annie, watched a little Pocahontas.

All of the girls played Sorry Sliders, which is always a hit!

In the morning, the girls requested cereal and homemade breakfast smoothies.  How can a mom say no??

What are some of your favorite Sleepover Activities to keep the kids entertained??

I WON!!!

I mentioned before that I was going to my friend's annual Halloween/Costume party and that I couldn't think of costumes for us.

The theme was 'A Night at The Movies'.

But last Monday, (kind of last minute since the party was Friday), I came up with an idea.

Thanks to Ebay and fast shipping, we were able to get what we needed.

And so, we went as The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who.

Braids by me :)

And guess what?

I WON the Best Costume prize for the girls!!!!

Now, if you had read my previous post, you would know that this is a big deal because Amy For Him ALWAYS wins this prize.

{And BTW, her husband won for the men this year, AGAIN, so we didn't completely take them over}

{And actually, their costumes were once again, AH-MAZ-ING!  So, they kind of deserve to win}

Frodo and Gandolph....see what I mean??  Crazy Good!!

It seriously was such a fun party!  A scavenger hunt (yes, we all went to Wal-greens in costume), games, snacks, and even movie themed prizes.

The hostess with the mostest! Love this girl...and her parties!!

I can't wait to see what next years theme will be!

What are you going as for Halloween this year??

Ten Ways To Give A Gift Without Spending Money

I LOVE to give gifts.

I have said before that it is a gift to me to be able to give someone a gift that they really love.

And often, we think we have to spend a lot of money to make someone happy.

But often, the best gifts cost us nothing at all.

Here are Ten Ways to Give A Gift Without Spending Money:

10.  Offer to Babysit!  If you have children, you know what a treasure it is to have a date night and know that you won't have to pay a babysitter.  And don't just put it out there and offer, actually have them give you a list of dates that work, and choose one (or more) that work for you!

9.  Make a Meal!  Sometimes it's nice to get muffins or cookies.  But what really helps out is when someone delivers an entire meal to your door.  No cooking and no having to pay for dinner.  Awesome!

8.  Do some Housework!  Oh the luxury of having a housekeeper!  That is something most of us can't afford.  BUT, if a friend would be willing to come and do it for you, that would maybe be the best gift ever!

7. Write a Note!  Sometimes, the people we care about just want to hear the words.  Take time to sit down and write a letter and tell them what they mean to you and why.

6.  Become a Photographer!  Everyone loves great family photo's, but photo sessions can be pricey.  But with a decent camera and good editing software, almost anyone can capture at least a few great pics.  Offer to accompany them and their family on an afternoon outing and be their own personal photographer.

5.  Get Crafty!  Knit a scarf, repaint a frame to look pretty, or put together a really cool wreath.  We all love those cute little things we see on Pinterest, but we rarely have time to do them.  Try doing one of them for a friend!

4.  Give a Lesson!  Maybe you know how to sew, but your friend doesn't.  Or maybe you're a really good cook and she can barely boil water.  Whatever skill you have that your friend may want to learn, (but maybe is afraid to ask you about), is a great opportunity to give of yourself!

3.  Coupons!  This one is a no-brainer.  It has been around a while, and for good reason...it works!  Write a coupon book that the receiver can exchange for items.  We did this with our girls one year for Christmas and they loved it.  Some of our coupons were for: 30 minutes of staying up later, ice cream for breakfast, having a friend spend the night, and getting to choose what we have for dinner.

2.  Make a Scrap Book!  This one is great for anyone, but especially family members.  Collect old photo's, write down memories, and be creative.  We did this for my Father-In-Law's Birthday one year and I think I loved it as much as he did because I got to learn so much more about him while I was putting it together.

1. Give them Your Time!  If the receiver is anything like me, it's your time that means the most to them.  Take a whole day and spend it doing fun stuff with your friend.  And it doesn't have to cost a lot (or anything!).  Hiking, cooking together, watching TV movies, or just sitting and chatting are great bonding activities.  OR, if it's a guy your giving to, let him have a day just to watch sports or listen to his favorite band.

Do you have any other good ideas for ways to Give without spending Money??  If so, Please Share!!

I will be linking up with Top Ten Tuesday at Many Little Blessings and WFMW at We Are THAT Family!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

It's been a little tough to think about the Awesome lately, but there has truly been too much of it NOT to share. 

Awesome:

I have said before how much I love our House Church.  And I have to say it again.

After my mom's passing, they rallied around our family and took care of us in a way that is beyond anything I can express.  The called, brought food, sent emails, watched my girls, and even came over THREE TIMES to do yard work and pull up our deck that was falling apart. 

Our yard looks better than it ever has, and I am THRILLED to be able to let my girls out on our back patio without worrying that they will fall and get hurt by an old board coming up.

I know that these people are a blessing from God and I am so very thankful for them!

Also Awesome:

The pool!  We have spent a lot of days lately relaxing by the pool.  We bring our lunch and snacks, and just spend the day.  Sometimes we even stay long enough to have dinner there also.  It just puts us all in a different place.  We take a breath, enjoy the sun and water, and move at a slower pace.  This is what summer is about to me.

Awkward:

This past weekend was Father's Day.  On Saturday afternoon we went to my in-laws to spend time with Jeremy's dad, Bill.  After lunch and cake, he began to open the cards the girls had made for him and then the gift.

After he took out the gift we got him, he looked back into the bag and said, "what is this?"

And he pulled out my younger daughter's underwear.

Ummmm, Happy Father's Day??

We still have no idea exactly how they got in there, but it was definitely an awkward moment.

Honestly, I was just glad they were clean underwear. 

He was a great sport about it, and if nothing else, it makes for great memories.

Here's hoping you have a lot of Awesome in your week!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awesome:

My new van!! 

I love it and I am soooo thankful that we were able to find this used van at a price we could afford and it has all the bells and whistles we were hoping for!  God is Good!!



Also Awesome:

A Long Weekend!  I am so excited to have this long weekend coming up!  It's going to be full of family, friends, a date night, and time at the pool!  What more could a stressed out momma want?!

Awkward:

Oh friends...you have hit the jackpot on this week's awkward. 

Actually, these fabulous pictures were taken about 15 or 16 years ago.  But even with that, how embarrassing?  This is me and my best friend, Deb, when we were in college.

Somehow, we thought it would be a great idea to get our pictures taken together.  At Kmart, nonetheless. 

Could we be more dorky or weird???

I mean, the clothing and hair alone is enough to tell you that we had issues.

And the even more awkward part is that after we had the pictures taken, and distributed them to our friends, (seriously??), someone saw it and thought we were a couple.  As in, he thought we were in love.

Even as I type it I'm laughing so hard I'm crying. 

I wish I could defend it in some way, but no excuse makes it any less strange.

Truth is, I had forgotten about these pictures until a few weeks ago I was hanging out with Deb, and she dug one out of her purse and gave it to me.  Needless to say, it gave all of the friends we were with a good laugh.

Ahhhh, gotta love documented moments of craziness :)

Here's a more recent picture of us...at least a *little* better.


Do you have any awkward or Awesome moments from this week to share? 

And a Friend's A Friend Forever...

If you're singing the next part to that Michael W. Smith song, then you're as cool as I am.

Which isn't cool at all...sorry about that.

But the reason I am thinking about that song, (which, BTW, once in your head will take HOURS to get out!), is because I had a weekend full of friends, and it was Fabulous!

On Friday a few blogging friends, (OAMM, Shaded Jade, and Deals For Dayton), and I got together and had Dinner for Eight. 

When we went to Blissdom...

If you haven't heard of this fun little dinner, let me fill you in.

You get 4 couples, (or 8 people, however that works out), and each pair hosts dinner once per month.  When you are the host, you make the main dish and then hand out assignments for the other courses, which include recipes.  Then you all come together and have a fun evening of great food and good fun.  Or, in our case, great food and the most side splitting, pant wetting, can't breathe because you're laughing so hard kind of fun that you have ever had!

Once A Month Mom hosted this month and she had a Cinco de Mayo theme...(truth be told, I think she stole my idea from last week's post...just sayin').  It was really, really good.  And in case you were wondering, OAMM is the perfect host, and also Super funny!  It was JUST what I needed after a long and frustrating week.

And on Saturday, three of my best friends and I got together to celebrate Carrie's birthday.  We shopped, ate yummy food, shopped some more, got mani's and pedi's, ate more food, shopped some more...ya know, a perfect day!

last year at Amy's birthday

I love these ladies and all the crazy fun we have together.  And BOY have we had some crazy fun...

But  a weekend like this really makes me think about how blessed I am to have such amazing friends.  And I'm not talking about wishy washy friends who come and go, and who are there when it's convenient.

I'm talking about the kind of friends who are there for life.  They encourage me, cheer me on, accept me for who I am, challenge me, call me out when I need it, show me grace, pray for me, listen to me, and love me.

And I just couldn't be more grateful for their friendships. 

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Some Stuff About Me

Okay, so today I am linking up to a couple of Blissdom blogs so that those lovely bloggers who will be going to Blissdom can get to know me better!

SO WELCOME!!!

And also for those who may be new readers of this little blog...I hope that you feel like we're old friends once you finish reading :)

So here's some random stuff about me:


-My name is Ricki.

-I am a mom to 2 silly, sweet, funny, smart, and energetic little girls named Addy (8) and Faith (5).

-My fantastic husband and I have been married almost ten years, and I am even more madly in love with him today than the day we married!

-I am a Stay-at-Home mom and I think it is the best and most challenging job in the whole world.

-I LOATHE cleaning.  My husband is the cleaner in our relationship, and that *may be* the secret to our success.

-I love cooking and baking.  But I am a good cook, and, well, I do my best at baking :)

-I enjoy taking photos but I wish I had a better camera.

see what I mean...

-Fashion is one of my many passions.  If I were young and single, I would totally be living in New York trying to work in the fashion industry.

-I watch way too much TV...mostly reality.  I should feel guilty about it but I don't.


-I am a cheer coach to 1st and 2nd grade little girls.

-I have been on a diet since I was about 6.  It's not going very well...

-I am very outgoing and get my energy from other people.  But sometimes, when I first meet people, I can be shy.  I've been told it sometimes comes off as stuck up or uninterested, but it's truly just my insecurities.

-I love bright colors but mostly wear black and grey.  I have no idea why.

at least I put a yellow flower on...

-I like all kinds of music including hip hop and rap.  In fact, I'm the mom driving around in her minivan, bass pumping, and singing along to Will. I. Am. and Jay Z.  My kids are gonna be sooo embarrassed some day, but right now they think I'm cool.

-I love to travel and really wish we were able to do more.  My favorite family vacation place is Disney World.  I'm obsessed!!

-I like to sleep in and I am NOT a morning person.  I need at least 8 hrs to feel human, and in fact, my husband was always the one to get up with our babies because he could handle sleep deprivation much better than I. 

-I have some of the BEST girlfriends in the world!!  God has truly blessed me in that area of my life and I am soooo thankful!!

3 of my closest friends and I at a birthday party...yes, we're all crazy!

Those ladies who have been in my life a loooong time and I Love them!

-I love to read and right now I am into The Hunger Games series.  It's REALLY good!

-I have 3 sisters.

My 3 sisters, my mom and I.

-I like playing board games and cards.  Especially Euchre.  But I'm not that good.

-I have a gazillion ideas for books I would like to write, (novels), but I never write any of them.

-I love to dance!!!  If there is music, I will dance, and I don't care at all what I look like.,  (Okay, maybe I care a little.  But I don't let it stop me)

-My mom and father-in-law are both battling cancer right now.  It's tough, but we're getting through it.

-I love this little blog of mine.  I startd it about a year ago and it's kind of my escape.  It's so fun to share all of the craziness of my life here.

-planning fun activities for my family is definitely one of my passions!  I get so much happiness out of seeing them have a good time.

Our family in Chicago

-I am really nervous and super excited to be going to my first blogging conference in just 2 weeks!!  I hope I make some new friends, have a fun and relaxing weekend, and learn some stuff along the way.

-My most important relationship is with Christ.  I'm His and He's mine :)

Well, there you go.  That may be more than you ever wanted to know, but it's all true and it's all me!

Top Ten Tuesday: Superbowl Food

Congrats to The Patriots and The Giants for making it to The Superbowl!!!

And I only know that those are the teams going because my husband told me :)

I'm not really into watching The Superbowl, but I am into going to Superbowl Parties!

And you can't really show up at a Superbowl party without a delicious dish...so I have some suggestions for you!

These are my top ten picks for yummy treats to share at your Superbowl gathering:

10.  Pepperoni Pizza Puffs!  Everybody wants pizza but with all the goodies to try, it's hard to fit in a whole slice.  These are the perfect way to get that pizza fix in a small bite!

 

9.  Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Chili!  Chili is a MUST for any Superbowl Party!  This is a different take on a standard and it is soooo good!

8.  Buckeye Brownies!  No party would be complete without something decadent and sweet.  These buckeye brownies are just that with peanut butter and chocolate chips to take ordinary brownies to a whole new level!

7.  Baked Buffalo Wings!  Wings and football go hand in hand  I have heard marvelous things about this baked version, and I can't wait to try them!

6.  Feta Dip!  Dips are all the rage for parties, but having the same old taco and buffalo chicken dip can get boring.  This is a great way to mix it up!

5.  Hawiian Sweet Roll Ham Sandwiches!  These sandwiches take the place of those tired old hoagies.

4.  Bacon Jalepeno Poppers!  These are a homemade version with cresant rolls and bacon.  Who doesn't love bacon??

3.  Pulled Pork with Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce!  These would be perfect served on slider buns!

2.  Individual Veggies and Dip!  For the healthy eaters at the party, (who invited them, anyway?), this is a fun way to serve the veggies.  Everyone gets their own cup and they can double dip as much as they want!

1.  Beer Punch!  Because the men want beer and the women want girly drinks. 

I will be linking up with Oh Amanda!  for Top Ten Tuesday and We are THAT Family for Worls for me Wednesday!.  Be sure to check them out!

My FABULOUS Holiday Weekend

So before you say anything, I already know that I have been way off my blogging game for a while.

But life has been so crazy for me over the past month that honestly, blogging was just about the last thing I could think about.

But now life is *kind of* starting to get back to some kind of normal.  And I miss this blog o' mine.  So I'm hoping I can get back into the swing of things.

So now let me tell you about my FABULOUS Holiday weekend!

First, the girls had last Wednesday off of school, so it was a special mommy-daughter day. 

We started off by having breakfast at Waffle House.

My girls have never been to Waffle House before, and Addy had been begging us to take her.

Unfortunately, my husband is not a fan.  I am!

So we went and of course they loved it, too.

I mean, how can you not love a place where you get to order things scattered and covered???

After that we went Christmas shopping for daddy.

I won't tell you what they bought him because the hubby reads this blog, but I will say that they are SUPER excited about it, and I am just hoping that they can keep it a secret until the big day.

Our fun day was then made even better when we went home and the girls helped me bake 3 pies.  I love the help, and they love helping, so it's a win-win!  And no one minds that there little fingers were taking swipes of the filling anyway, right?

On Thursday, my day started early so that I could get our GINORMOUS turkey in the oven, followed by the ham.  But it was worth it when we got to enjoy the best meal of the year while we visited with 20 or so relatives.

But the real fun began when at 7:30pm, a few lovely ladies and I, (and my hubby for the first stop), headed out to begin our BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING!!!!

Oh friends, let me just tell you that Black Friday shopping is not for the weak. 

First of all, it should be called Black Thursday now because the deals started on Thursday evening at 10pm at Wal-Mart, which was our first stop. 

And can I just say that Wal-Mart is just full of the most interesting people you will ever see in your life?

I mean, where else can you see someone in ugg-like boots, pj bottoms, and a tank top with no bra and think that it's totally acceptable? 

And just when things were starting to get boring while we waited in line, a fight almost broke out between a guy I'm pretty sure was a truck driver at some point in his life and a preppy little momma trying to cut in line who had no fear of him.  That is until he started cursing at her.  Then she hightailed it outta there.

I think it was a wise choice.

And then, after we got our goods and tried to make our way to a check-out line, I was stopped by a police officer inside the store who was directing traffic.

Did you see that I said, INSIDE the store?

Craziness!

After that we hot the mall for Old Navy, Elder-Beerman, NY&Co., and The Great Steak Escape.

There weren't a lot of choices for food at 3am, and we were running out of steam.  And truth be told, pretty much nothing is off limits at that time of the morning.

Our last stop was Target.  Unfortunately, everything had been pretty picked over at that point, (they had opened at midnight), so I struck out there.  But when I got home, I was able to get the rest of my stuff on Amazon.com, so it's all good.

And on Friday evening, those same great ladies and I gathered up our families and went to the Downtown Dayton Grande Illumination and Children's Parade.  The weather was perfect and the kids had a fabulous time!

The next day we put up our tree and decorated the house.  It is seriously one of my very favorite things to do.  It just makes every day better when you get to walk by a beautiful lit-up Christmas Tree.  It just does.

And our wonderful weekend ended with a Pajama day and pizza-movie night.  A perfect ending for a perfect weekend.

I am so excited for all the fun stuff that this season holds.  We have lots of fun plans, and I can't wait to share all of them with you.

Which reminds me, tomorrow I will be listing a bunch of the events going on around town in December.  Hopefully, you will be able to check out some of them with your crew!

So I hope you all had a great Holiday weekend, too!  Feel free to share some of your Black Friday stories also.  I always love a good Wal-Mart story!