{winner, winner}

Congratulations to...

lauriestrey said...
I am looking forward to lots of new things this year!!1) A NEW BABY NEPHEW to cuddle and love2) A cruise with my wonderful husband to celebrate 10 years of marriage3) a trip to the Black Hills this summer for Eric's cousin's wedding4) finishing up some scrapbooking! and being "caught up" on Owen's books (but does that ever really happen??)
January 3, 2011 9:18 AM

E-mail me at jeffandannie@q.com and I'll get you your certificate code!

Thanks to everyone for visiting my blog and commenting! A special thanks CSN for sponsoring this giveaway. Don't forget to check out all the great things CSN has to offer!

{a giveaway!}

Why not start out 2011 with a GIVEAWAY!!

I was contacted by CSN stores to do a giveaway to one of my blog readers. One of you (there aren't many, so your odds are good!) will win a $35 dollar gift certificate to any of the CSN online stores.

My favorite is the modern furniture listed on this site. All Modern has so much to choose from with so many fun things to decorate my home with. Hmmm, what would I choose?!

To be entered in this giveaway, all you have to do is tell me what you are most looking forward to in 2011!

If I get some comments, I might be more inclined to keep up with this blog! You have until Friday night to enter, with a winner being announced on Saturday. Good luck :)

Happy New Year, Friends and Family!

{i ♥ shutterfly}

Oh yes, it's no lie. I LOVE Shutterfly!

What else do I love just as much as Shutterfly? Getting Holiday cards in the mail! I love when December rolls around and Christmas cards are filling my mailbox each day. The photo cards are favorites because you can see how families and little ones change from year to year! It's a treat to connect with friends and family who we might not see that much throughout the year, but still hold a special place in our heart!

November has rolled around and the family photos are done. Now, it's time to start finding the perfect Christmas card to send out to our family and friends. What better place to start, Shutterfly of course!

Shutterfly has a HUGE selection of Christmas photo cards! http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery . Some of my favorites include the Erin Condren Designs and the Stacy Claire Boyd Collection. I am drawn to the bright and vibrant colors both of the designers have.

Which ones are your favorite? I can't WAIT to see them.

Don't forget that Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. Look at all the photo cards and invitations Shutterfly has to choose from. We have so much to be thankful for this year!
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thanksgiving-cards

Holidays aren't the only cards you can send from Shutterfly! Check out these fun ones I've (Addie) sent out this past year :)

Back to School

Birthday

St. Patrick's Day

Thank you

Head on over to Shutterfly and get started! If you haven't opened an account yet, you'll get 50 free prints when you do. Wahoo, what a deal! Don't forget to send me those holiday cards. I can't wait to open them!

Happy creating!!

{back in blogland}

Hello, long lost blog reader (s), I'm back! I'm not even sure that anyone has missed me since I last posted in summer. Where have I been? Balancing motherhood and marriage with full-time teaching and all the other jobs that never cease to disappear (cleaning, laundry, meals, shopping). Of course, add in family and friends and that makes for one absent blogger. We'll see how things go.

We are weeks away from my baby girl turning 1!! I cannot believe it. This little girl is the light of my life and the past year has been the best in my life :).

Here's a picture of my little moo cow wondering what that big pumpkin is doing next to her!

Onto making a plan for a few more blog posts in the next month!

{cover girl}

Looks who's on Shelley's main page?! Those fingers were so her when she was starting to get some teeth.

My friend, Laurie, had Owen's 2 year pictures taken with Shelley last summer. Laurie e-mailed me that Shelley was looking for a 6 mo. old girl to model some headbands and hats for Posh Place. Shelley was now their official photographer!

We went down in June to Northeast Minneapolis to help Shelley with the shoot. Addie did great with all the headbands and hats. So darn cute!

Here are the links to her shoot. Shelley is so great to work with! Looking forward to our family fall pictures!

{mommy/baby must-haves}

Well, hello! Almost a week after I was supposed to have this post done for you, it's ready to go! To say we've been busy lately is an understatement. Lots of fun things, but enjoying the day at home today getting caught up on projects and sleep for Miss Addie!

I've only been at this Mommy gig for 8 months, but have found a few things that I love and a few of Addie's favorites too!

Key Fob by Maggie Moo's Mom. I cannot tell you what a wonderful thing this KEY FOB is!! Easily accessible from purse or diaper bag, plus it fits around my wrist so I don't lock the keys in while getting Addie out of the car. I've given so many of these away as gifts for people and they are a huge hit. You don't even have to be a Mommy to enjoy one of these. I also had Allison make me a lanyard for school, which I love too. She has over 100 fabric choices to choose from.


Minky Chenille Blankee by Bebe Bella Designs. Addie got one of these as a gift from the Cizadlo's when she was born and it's been the best thing. I bought a second one of the same colors so we always have one available while the other is in the wash. Addie loves snuggling up with her blankee. I was lucky enough to get the adult throw for my birthday from my parents. I love snuggling in my blankets and this one is the BEST by far! Sign up for the e-mail and you get $15 off your order. A Blankee will be down to $7.50 plus shipping which brings it to 50% off . Another favorite of mine to give to new babies!


Diapees & Wipees These days we don't seem to need as much in the diaper bag and I can throw this into my purse or car. Diapers and wipes easily accessible and in fabric designs too! I got mine at Von Maur, but I think Creative Kidstuff carries them too.


Carters PJ's There's something so darn cute about Addie in pj's. Carters has adorable lines and and they wash up so nice. I love all of Carters things, but PJ's are my favorite! Love the footed jammies :) And yes, she'll be sporting these adorable elephant jammies this winter (owls are my #1,but elephants are a VERY close 2nd!) thanks to our shopping trip with Grandma Jane, MJ, and Teddy yesterday afternoon!


Froggy Bouncer Addie loves her Froggy, although she's on the move these days and sees other things she wants to get to. It's not as big as the exersaucers, but still gives the same effects!


Sandra Boynton books We love reading all these books to Addie (and I think we have almost all of them!!). She's a big fan of Moo, Baa, La La La while my favorite these days is Belly Button Book.


Mommy Hook This rides on A's stroller and is great for all those shopping bags and even my key fob! My purse can go in the basket and this is the spot for all my finds. A definite must-have!


I know there are so many other favorites I have, but I'll start here. What are your Mommy Must-haves?

Don't forget to check out Laurie's blog for all her favorites too! I've added so many new sites to my favorites thanks to Laurie. It's been a fun week (or two) of blog posts. What's next, I wonder?!!

back tomorrow

Addie and I are traveling down to my friend Missy's along with Kelly, Michelle, and our kiddos for a visit to the farm. Tonight I'm meeting up with the girls for Coupon Club, so my Friday favorite will just have to wait! Check back tomorrow for my baby favorites :)

{favorite etsy}

I ♥ ETSY!! There are SOOO many fun and creative things to buy on Etsy. Etsy is an online boutique of all kinds of handmade things. Here's just a small sampling of things I love. What is your favorite Etsy site? My feed shows I've had a lot more visitors this week, so I know you are out there!

Dazeychic Colorful prints to decorate your home with

Heartsmiles I've ordered a few hats for Addie from here. Just in time, Christmas in July sale is going on now. There is a new referral program, so I would love for you to mention my name if you order. My etsy name is "anniekate19"

Penny People Addie has this print hanging in her room. Through the 18th, there is a buy one get one free sale on the 13 x 9 prints, which is what Addie has. If you are interested in ordering, let me know and I can forward you the e-mail with the information.

Ink Spot Workshop Addie's Baptism invitations came from here. Lots of adorable things!

Sweet Paperie I've gotten a few of these stamps for gifts and they turn out so nice. Perfect for a new home or birthday gift. Lots to choose from!

Every Jot and Title Pick up some fun things for scrappin!

Announcing You This is the ADORABLE Valentines card I got for Addie to send out as her first Valentines Day. This will be one of my all-time favorite card/picture of Addie.

Knotty Baby Wear I ordered some of these for Baby H while I was pregnant. Addie's legs were so tiny for the candy cane ones, so she'll be sporting these come December--can't wait!

Party Poms I haven't ordered anything from here, but have dreams about so many things to do with these. Perhaps for someone's first birthday...

Nini's Handmades Adorable baby hats. Never ordered any, but maybe for a fun gift!

All things owls Did you know how much I LOVE owls? Well, in the search box on ETSY, type in anything and see how many matches there are. Lucky me, there are 31, 523 owl things to choose from. I'm linking my search for you to see all the possibilities!

Have fun searching and don't forget to let me know one of your favorites!

{favorites of miss addie}

Today's favorites are all pictures of our kids--Miss Addie and Laurie's sweet Owen. I have to say it's hard to narrow down some favorites, so here are just a few!

Shelley Anderson took the picture of Addie in her coral, ruffle dress. She's a fabulous photographer Laurie told us about who was looking for a 6 mo. old girl to model headbands and hats. Lucky us!

Thanks for looking at the favorites of my little peanut :)

{favorite scrappy sites}

**Apparently this didn't work out how I wanted. I typed this up on Monday night and thought it was going to post at 7:22 on TUesday morning. Guess not. Here's Tuesday's post!


You know I couldn't go my FAVORITES week, without listing just SOME of my favorite scrappy sites. For this post, I'm going with my most recent favorites. People or companies who I love reading about what they've been up to. Who are your favorites?


Ella Publishing

Many of the former contributors to Simple Scrapbooks, have joined forces for Ella Publishing. They have fabulous downloads and lots of fun ideas on their blog.


Big Picture Scrapbooking

Fun classes for you to take and lots of free ones to download. I just downloaded the Baby's First Year by Jessica Turner. Make sure to do a google search for coupon codes out there. Any little bit helps!


Shabby Chic Crafts
Lots of fun tags and journaling titles from Shabby Chic. Make sure to visit their blog for ideas and inspiration from the talented design team.


Two Peas in a Bucket
Need I say more? This is the meca of scrapbooking. Check out the Garden Girls for loads of inspiration and free classes that are offered. Shannon Tidwell, Jen Jockisch, Jennifer Johner, and Margie Scherschligt just some of my favorite GGirls.



Susan Weinroth
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything Susan does! She creates amazing pages, takes fabulous pictures, and creates beautiful decor for her home (check out Noah's nursery...ahhh!).


Dear Lizzy
Elizabeth is all-things creative. She is adorable and creates the most amazing things. I love her quirky style!


KI Memories
One of my favorite companies. Loads of ideas from their Design Team on the blog.


American Crafts
More great designers with simple, ready to go ideas


Fiskars
The best company for tools, hands down. LOVE their punches. Easy ideas to implement!



Have fun checking out all these creative people and companies. Happy Scrapping!

{favorites week}

My friend, Laurie, and I were discussing our blogs and how to keep up with them while making it fun for us. So...this week, we bring you OUR FAVORITES!

Today's theme is COUPONING/$$ SAVING sites. Yes, it's become an addiction for me! It's hard for me to pay full price for anything, whether it's out a restaurant or shopping at a store. There are some great sites out there for finding the best deals that are SOME of my favorites.

HIP TO SAVE

Collin has EVERYTHING on this site from coupons to giveaways to sale alerts. This is my go-to site for all deals.

TOTALLY TARGET

A site just for Target deals (there are other deals too)? This is AMAZING! Kudos for all the deals and sale alerts on here. You can even get a preview of the items on sale, usually on Friday or Saturday of the week prior. Plus, head to Target's site and scroll to the bottom to COUPONS. There are some great clothing ones listed and when paired with clearance items, these make for phenomenal deals!!

POCKET YOUR DOLLARS

Carrie Rocha is a local MN woman who has many similar deals to Hip 2 Save. An added bonus with PYD is she lists local events and deals for Minnesotans. Plus, Carrie shares how she got her family out of debt by cutting coupons and using deals.

MOMMYSAVERS

Another local Minnesotan, Kim comes from Mankato with her Mommysavers website. This is a website forum that people post deals/coupons they find. Lots of great kids deals and ideas, not just for the Mommys out there!

I ♥ CVS

Do you have your Extra Care card from CVS? If not, you must go out and get one--it's free! I love shopping at CVS and have gotten many Extra Care Bucks back on fabulous deals. This site links all kinds of deals to be had at CVS. Heading out for a shopping trip to CVS, head here first to make sure you are getting the best deals possible.

I ♥ WAGS

Just like CVS, there is a "sister" site for Walgreens. Lots of fantastic deals and extra coupons to be had at this site. Stock up on those Register Rewards.

*New to couponing? Check out Collin's site COUPONING 101. Trust me, you can really save lots of money with just being aware of the deals out there!

*Have family members or friends save coupons that you need and vice versa, give coupons to others. You can check the Sunday preview site to see what the week's coupons will be. If you see there will be some key coupons you are interested in, go buy the Early Saturday editions of the paper (I get the STar & Trib) with the coupons in them. You'll only pay 50 cents versus, the full price on Sunday which I think is over $2. Still saving you lots more money in the long run!

*Start a Coupon Club with friends who share your $$ saving ways. Trust me, it's lots of fun! Right, girls??!! Catch up on cutting out and organizing coupons or just take time to go shopping for some bargain deals. Add some delicious food and tasty drinks, makes for a fun evening!

*All these sites listed above have fan pages on Facebook where they update all the deals. Otherwise, I put these on my iGoogle/Google Reader page to see the updates.

*What are your favorite deals or coupon sites? Please share!!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another day of FAVORITES.

{7 months}

These months are flying by and we're loving every minute with her!

At 7 months, Miss Addie:

*is going on the MOVE! She moves from sitting up to rocking on all fours. She hasn't figured out how to go, so she'll eventually fall to her belly and flap her arms and legs hoping she gets somewhere. Backwards is the way to travel these days, although it's no fun when what you want keeps getting farther and farther away!

*has decided that eating food ISN't all that bad! Fruits are her favorites, but also enjoys the orange veggies. The jury is still out on Puffs.

*sits like a big girl in the cart or high chair when out and about. She LOVES looking at everyone and usually gets lots of attention with her personality

*is talking so much--dadadadada and "hi da" are the popular ones. No "ma" anywhere in vocab, although during our days home I'm working on it.

*along with her talking, she's discovered it's a way to let us know what she's thinking and not always happy with riding in the car seat. She knows she's missing out on things. Overall, she's still a great car rider.

*has the cutest rubber band baby rolls. Can't get enough of them!!

*loves to play the piano and with her ball popper, and yes, she's determined to get these in her mouth

*enjoys music class on Tuesday mornings with Sherrie and all her little friends. We love singing our songs!!

loves to "pat-pat" everything

*is changing so much and such a sweet girl. We are so lucky!

Can you tell someone is a fan of her Daddy? Thank goodness he was around to get some smiles! Plus, look how small Teddy is looking these days!

{6 months}

Better late than never, huh?

At 6 months, Miss Addie:

*weighs 17lb. 6 oz.

*sits up on her own, with a little tippsiness every once in awhile

*doesn't seem to be a big fan of cereal

*chews anything she can get her mouth on (still patiently waiting for those teeth)

*loves to go on walks and be outside

*is very social and loves to smile at everyone

*still sleeps like a champ at night, but prefers cat naps during the day (she might be missing out on something)

*squaking all the time and "chatting" more these days

(pics aren't that great this time--lots of rainy, cloudy days that didn't give us good natural light!)

{today}

Look who had a fabulous time at the Como Zoo with her cousin Ellie, Uncle Kevin, and Grandma Jane. I know I've been MIA for a LONG time. Will add more things this weekend. Look for a fun week of blogging starting Monday!

{looking back}

On Addie's first 6 months! I can't believe how quickly time flies :)
We couldn't imagine life without this little girl.