On buying diapers...

Truth be told.... ever since I posted this, Amazon hasn't been putting coupons in Baby Talk magazine or Parenting magazine. Bummer. Hopefully they'll start again soon!

So, we go through our fair share of diapers around here with 2 kids under 2 but, you won't find me complaining about buying them..... because we get them for pennies.

If you buy diapers you have got to try this. Life will never be the same.

1. Moms should sign up for an amazon.com/mom account. This is free and has some really great perks, including free two-day shipping!

2. Go to babytalk.com/subscribe
This is a free magazine subscription and each issue usually includes a $10 off amazon baby store coupon. After I signed up, my first issued arrived just two weeks later.

3. Get ahold of an issue to Parenting magazine. Each issue usually has a 20% off coupon good towards diapers or wipes from amazon.com. I think a subscription to this magazine is like 12 bucks for 3 years(comes out to 36 cents an issue). Definitely worth it, I think. Or, our Pediatrition's office is a goldmine for Parenting and Babytalk magazines. You could just look there. moneysavingmom.com has giveaways for these codes as well.

Once you've got your two coupons and your ready to order diapers.....

1. Log into your account

2. Find your diapers of choice

3. click "subscribe now"

4. Enter your promotional coupon codes one at a time.

5. Click "sign me up"

So let's say I'm looking for a box of luvs size 2 diapers, for example.

I log into my account, find the diapers for 35.54 and click "subscribe now."

I fill out my shipping info and the price has already dropped to 24.88

I enter my 20% off code and the price is now at 19.90

Enter my 10 off code so we're at 9.90. That's 4 cents a diaper!

After my diapers are delivered, I log into my account and cancel the diaper subscription(it's legal, I checked:). Afterall, the coupons are plentiful and Henry was in size 2 diapers for about 3 weeks! Don't forget to cancel the subscription if you're planning on having coupons each month.

My favorite part about this whole situation is that I no longer have to carry big boxes of diapers and wipes when I'm shopping with the kids. They are delivered right to my door! I usually order diapers and wipes once a month.
Now if I could only get the UPS man to stop ringing the doorbell when the kids are asleep.....:)

I apologize for the weird spacing on this post--- the libraby's getting ahold of the book "Blogging for Dummies" for me so, hopefully I'll get a handle on these weird issues I have with Blogger every so often! Yes.... Blogging for Dummies!

the mustache and the librarian

Giving your son a bath is the perfect time to test what he'd look like with facial hair.... apparently! Goat-tee

Full beard. How do I look, Grandpa Mike?Don't forget the handlebar mustache!!

Henry's been doing great lately: he's loving rice cereal in the evenings and sleeping much better at night. Joel and I are still letting him enjoy our room while we're camping out in the living room on an air mattress. Surprisingly, everyone(including Joel and myself) is sleeping much much better! He still wakes a couple times a night but, takes his paci and falls right back asleep.

He nurses between 6am and 7am then goes back to sleep until 9ish. I am a happy mama!
Norah with her nose in a book.... as usual! She examines each page and points to objects familiar to her. Most common words we hear when she's reading: ball, car, kitty, rawr(for tiger), bird, boat, fish, Jesus, shoes, whheeeee(for slide), apple and baby.
Since it's cold out again and snow's predicted for tonight..... I get to push back washing windows. YAY! There's about a million other things I could add to our spring cleaning list but, washing windows is definitely the most dreaded!

Have a great weekend!!

Mema's Hotcakes

We usually have a "breakfast for dinner" meal once a week. Our usual rotation is pancakes, then biscuits and gravy, then egg mcmuffin sandwiches.

I recently came across this recipe on tastykitchen.com. I was instantly attracted to the easiness of the recipe and the simplicity of the ingredients. We will never buy bisquick again! My in-house food critic(Joel) said these were by-far the best pancakes he's ever had.

MeMa's Hotcakes
2 c. flour
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 T. sugar
2 whole eggs
2 c. milk
1/3 c. oil
blueberries(optional)

Start heating up the griddle on the stove. If using an electric griddle, set the heat setting to 350.

Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl. We threw a big handful of blueberries in the bowl once the other ingredients were mixed well because, we're blueberry FANATICS!

Pour batter onto the hot griddle in 1/3 cup measurements. Cook on one said until all bubbles stop coming up and "popping" before attempting to flip the pancake.

Flip each pancake only one time.

The recipe at tastykitchen said to spread butter on top of the flipped side while the bottom side is cooking.... we didn't do this.

Enjoy!

Summer, come quick!

Dear Summer,

There's two kids here eager for your arrival! The pool will be swam in daily, the driveway will be covered in sidewalk chalk and mom will be persistent with the sunblock! Please, don't procrastinate!

Patiently waiting,
Norah and Henry

Norah got these cute goggles in an Easter basket from our dear friend Sylvia. She was so kind to share her gift with Henry!

The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous so, I've been able to take the kids outside almost everyday this past week. There's something about taking the kids to the park that kinda makes me feel like a kid again.... maybe it's the staircase slide. Whatever is it, I like it!

When I see Norah come flying down the slide with her mouth WIDE open, every tooth showing, laughing her obnoxiously contagious laugh I can't help but feel carefree myself. The word responsibility hasn't touched Norah's ear so she's filled with the awe, wonder and curiosity of a child. I love this time. When she's older I'll remind her of all the summers we spent at the park and the pool and, with time I suppose I'll forget some too. I wish I could remember it all... but, I won't dwell on what I'll forget... now I'll play with my babies.

I'll never claim to have this whole parenting thing figured out but, I do know that parents need to play with their kids, teach them about Jesus and, nurture their tender little hearts. Parenting is a gift.

my refuge is in God.

He alone is my rock and my salvation
My stronghold; I will not be shaken.
On God, my salvation and my glory rest.
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Psalm 62:6-7

This week has been a little crazy. We're really starting to work with Henry and trying to get him sleep thru the night, it is time to start this process. Long story short: Joel and I are exhausted. We've both felt like we're running on empty this week.

Yesterday morning as the kids and I got ready for bible study, I felt like maybe we should just surrender and stay home, mainly so I could sulk in self-pity of being tired, crabby and unprepared to study the bible. As we left our house 15 minutes late I felt defeated and even more so when I spilt coffee all the way down my white t-shirt.

I realized then, that it wasn't my own weariness dragging me down but, satan himself. He would not trump the awesome fellowship time I have with other god-fearing women and he would not trump Norah's time playing in the nursery! And, with two fist pumps out the window, WE WERE GOING TO BIBLE STUDY!

The rest of the day was amazing! At the end of the day I had a very familiar epiphany; I NEED to draw my strength from God. I need to trust that he will get me thru the hard days; he will give me the energy and patience to raise the two beautiful babies he blessed us with. He will mold me into the daughter he created me to be, if I let Him.

I hope you all have a great weekend! We hope to have a very low-key, relaxing couple days--- and that never sounded so good!

Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

So this year I set a goal to try a new recipe each week. I've really enjoyed seeking out new recipes and getting us away from the same old meals we're used to(I'm talking to you- spaghetti, tacos, BLT's). And while, on occassion I'm just to lazy to try a new recipe and we fill that meal slot with sandwiches, we've done pretty good.

Most of our recipes come from tastykitchen.com, ourbestbites.com, or thepioneerwoman.com and, with the exception of a stubborn pizza dough that refused to rise we've actually LOVED everything we've tried.

Joel loves bacon. I love pasta. This was meant to be. I hope you'll enjoy this yummy dish as much as we do!

Bacon and Parmesan Pasta
1 lb. chopped bacon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. penne pasta
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. cream cheese
1/4-1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Fry chopped bacon in skillet. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes while frying. When done, place bacon on papertowl. Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente(still a bit firm). Place cream cheese and heavy cream in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until cream cheese is melted, and whick until smooth. Remove from heat. Add parmesan cheese, eggs and pepper and whick until smooth.

Drain pasta(reserving 1 cup pasta water) and return to pot. Immediately add white sauce and toss to coat. Hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in bacon and add some of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Enjoy!

I found this recipe on tastykitchen.com and basically just doubled the sauce and chopped the bacon before frying instead of cooking, waiting for it to cool, then chopping.

Teething & Cereal

I am still amazed by Norah and this whole teething process. On Saturday night she had 3 (THREE!) teeth pop thru her little gums. She has handled this like such a little trooper but, I know it's taking a toll on her. I can hear her babbling at night when I'm up feeding Henry, she cries out in pain a few times every night and now she's developed quite a horrid cough on top of the runny nose. I'm just thankful she hasn't had a fever.....not yet anyway!

When she's awake she plays like her normal self for the most part, besides having to slow down every couples minutes so I can wipe and clean out her nose. This morning she actually got ahold of the mucus bulb and, I watched her hold it to her nose then, wipe it on a kleenex. Obviously, not her first rodeo!

In Henry news, he started cereal a couple days ago!! Aww, yes the days of cereal. I am reluctant to admit that Joel and I were the parents who thought we'd give the kid cereal, I'd nurse him, we'd put him to bed and he'd sleep 9 hours straight..... or at least 7.......or I'd be pretty happy with 6 I guess. No such luck.

He's doing really good with the cereal though and, his expressions when the cereal gets to his mouth are beyond cute! You'd be surprised the volume of cereal those cheeks of his can hold- I know I was when he sneezed last night with a full mouth. Whew!

What is this?

I've been asking myself that question a lot lately. What should this blog be?

On Ash Wednesday I found myself wanting to share this verse "Rend your hearts, and not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God. For gracious and merciful is he, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment." Joel 2:13

Would it be ok if I post things like this? Is anyone out there reading this anyway?:) When I come across a verse that speaks directly to my heart, I want to scale the rain gutter and shout it from our rooftop. I figure posting it on this blog is much much safer..... I think you all know I'm not the most coordinated! I hope I can post these verses and they'll tug at your heart strings, I hope you'll find them as encouraging as I do.

I love doing this blog and updating you all on the lastest happenings of our kids but, I want it to be so much more. I want to write about things I'm passionate about like powerful scripture I come across or, saving money on diapers or, using coupons to get things for pennies or, yummy recipes I find online or, raising our kids to love Jesus or, how I long to run a half-marathon but, how can I get away from my shadow(aka Henry) to even train for it. Maybe even a DIY crafty post or two? Well, let's not get carried away!

This life is a blessing and, I'm not looking to "vent" but, rather share what's happening in our lives..... I hope you enjoy what you read.

Now, to the lamb!

When Norah was born she got a stuffed lamb as a gift named "Grace." I thought it was so strange looking but, I really couldn't look at it without smiling or breaking out with a chuckle. It was so cute in such a weird way. She grew to LOVE Grace and is now accustomed to having Grace sleep in her crib with her. So, every time I lay Norah down and give her a kiss, she holds Grace up so I can give her a smooch too. Now, Henry has "Jacob." He is even funnier looking but, both kids absolutely love him.

Henry only needs about 5 minutes to get Jacob's arms, legs and toupee soaked. I suppose that feels mighty nice on his teething gums.
Norah acts like such a little mama to the lambs, lining them up in a row on the couch, pushing all 4 of them in the swing and even giving them stroller rides around the house!

As you can see, we're starting to realize the importance of having a couple spares!

We hope you're having a great Monday!

Last Week

We took these 'around the house' snapshots last week and, I don't think you'll be at all surprised that Norah usually refuses to look at the camera! She just smiles, laughs and, runs away real fast.
Henry, on the other hand is at a perfect stage for gettting his picture taken..... and that stage is immobile!

Would you believe me if I told you, I think Henry's slimming out quite a bit?!

Vanilla Iced Coffee

So I love coffee drinks. I don't drink black coffee but, if it's sweetened up, and iced, then I cannot resist. So, a couple Thursdays ago, I had my little kiddies in the car and we were driving to Community Bible Studay(CBS). I had about 8 extra minutes and a 5 dollar bill in the diaper bag. The kids seemed very cheerful and Henry was sawing logs in his carseat so, why not treat myself to a delicious iced coffee. 10 minutes later, I'm still waiting in the drive thru for my drink, Norah's whining and Henry's awake and showing off his powerhouse lungs. I loved coffee shops and the friendliness of the baristas and fellow coffee drinkers before I had two kids but, now I value peace in the car and being on time(give or take 5 minutes) to CBS. Not only that but, I've become pretty frugal so handing over that $5 was pretty hard when I thought about how many diapers I could've bought with that on amazon.com(but, that's another post). So, to save money, time and sanity I sought out recipes for vanilla iced coffee. By splicing a couple recipes together, we've arrived at a creation both Joel and I love.

Vanilla Iced Coffee
1 c. brewed coffee
1 tsp. instant decaf coffee granules
4 pumps Starbucks vanilla syrup
2 tsp. sugar
whole lotta ice
1/2- 1c. whole milk

I usually put the sugar, vanilla syrup, and instant coffee granules in the bottom of a large cup(the cups we use hold about 32oz). Add coffee and stir, (we've discovered that the drink really tastes best with room temp or slightly warm coffee- its a bit stronger since the coffee hasn't melted all the ice making it taste watered down). Next add the ice-- and we've also noticed that the colder we get the drink, the more we like it. Fill the rest of the cup with milk, stir, and enjoy! Adjust the amounts to suit your liking; you don't have to use decaf instant coffee if you like yours stronger, you can just use regular.

Maybe you noticed that I use Starbucks vanilla syrup in my recipe and you're curious where I found it...... Starbucks actually sells the 1 liter pumps of syrup! For around 10 bucks! And, they had an extra pump so they gave me that too! So, now I feel like an actual coffee barista because I also bought a Starbuck apron and drive-thru headset! No, just kidding! You can order the syrup online but, after shipping it's over 17 bucks.

Anyway, I love this drink and Joel requests one as soon as he gets home from work and, Norah being that little charmer that she is always walks up with a cute little smile and says "peas." Since there's only one cup of caffinated coffee in the entire drink, I don't have to worry about her jumping off the walls for 36 hours after giving her a little sip. So...I think Starbucks would be quite pleased.... unless they saw our pitiful coffee pot.... or the fact that I only buy folgers coffee.... and that's only if I have a coupon.... and don't even get me started on the big obnoxious green plastic cups we use.

New car.

Our search for a new vehicle ended yesterday. Joel left early in the morning with a clean pickup in-tow and headed for St Louis to check out an acadia we had been looking at for some time. He traded in the pickup and came home with this 2007 acadia. We hope this car will see us through many long car trips and be a great car for our family.

If we pack light enough for trips, I may just have myself a little bed in the back!

I never thought..

...my kids would be the two out-of-control kids screaming in Target. (but this morning, they were!! Now, I know how my Mom felt...)

...I'd have one of each. After Norah was born, I envisioned Joel and I having 4 girls.

...I would be as tired as I was last night.

...I would rely on the power of prayer as much as I do now.

...I would enjoy the daily grind as much as I do.

...I'd be so awful at getting my kids' pictures professionally taken... seriously what's my deal?!

...I would commit to a Mom hair-cut at age 25-- but, I will always sport a Mom cut.

...I would miss living in North Dakota.

...my favorite show would be wheel-of-fortune.

...I'd long for free time to sew or scrapbook or, even run on the treamill. (shocking, I know)

...one of my favorite times of day would be having a picnic on the kitchen floor with Norah, for afternoon snack.

...I'd look forward to summer, just to sit in the kids' pool, go to garage sales, and use sidewalk chalk.

...I'd appreciate lines beautifully written in Norah's board books.... "Love your neighbor, be polite, trust the truth, and shine your light." Really Woolly Bedtime Prayers

...I'd feel so blessed.

...it was possible to be this happy.

Have a great weekend everyone!! We're going to kick back and enjoy each other, continue or car search, and avoid Target!