Family Fridays-Gideyon & the Gum

So each Friday I think I will post an activity or a cute quip from a member of our family or the family as a whole. This week Gideyon steals the spotlight. The most memorable thing that has happened all week is when I asked my 6 year old what happened to his neck. He replied matter -a- factly " I tried to wrap my gum around my neck but it got stuck." He simply wanted to know if his gum would stretch all the way around his neck ("what's the problem with that, Mom?)This is what gum looks like on your child's neck after days of scrubbing to get it off with no avail:

Note how he is all smiles. His mom not so much! I truly wonder how that boys mind works sometimes, other times I am scared to know! Either way I am so glad he is mine:)

Caption should read: This is my beloved son in whom I am well amused!;)

Thursdays Theme- Cherries

Not sure I will stick with Thursdays as a "theme" day, however I was so excited about my purchase today at Sam's that I am really stuck on Cherries at the moment. Today while I was at Sam's I found Chudley's Cherry Blossoms! Now I will admit the berry kind are my favorite, but when you live in the sticks you will take whatever "blossom" you find. This lead me to think about other cherry items, both "likes" and "dislikes" . So since I LOVE a list I thought I would share them with you:)

Cherry Items I Like/Love:

• Cherry Starburst
• Cherry Blossom scent from Bath & Body (not Japanese Cherry Blossom!)
• Cherry Turnovers (vs Apple Turnovers, but don't worry I will eat either!)
• Black Cherry Juice from Welchs
• Fresh Cherries ( Not sure which type, just not the tart ones )

Cherry Things that I Dislike/Hate:

• Cherry scented CarFreshners (to sickly sweet!)
• Cherry Preserves or Jam (to many chunks)
• Cherry Pie (I don't like all the smooshy cherries)
• Cherry Chapstick (makes me feel 6 years old)
• Chocolate Covered Cherries (need I say more!!)

So I am sure that is not an all inclusive list so feel free to comment and let me know your likes/dislikes in the cherry category.

To round out this post I thought I would finish out with one of the only Cherry recipes I know. My mother in laws "Cherry Ice Box Dessert", she is somewhat famous for this dessert around her part of the country. This reminds me of a combo of 4 Layer Dessert and Cherry Cheesecake. Enjoy!

Goodman Cherry Ice Box Dessert

• 2 sticks margarine (I use butter)
• 2 Pkgs (Bricks) Graham Crackers finely Crushed
• 2 Pkgs Dream Whip (you find this in the baking aisle in box)
• 2-8 oz Pkgs Cream Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Cans Cherry Pie Filling with some of the liquid removed ( I remove a lot of the juice personally)

Beat Margarine (I melt mine) and then mix in Cracker Crumbs. Press in bottom and up sides of 9x13 pan. Prepare Dream Whip according to package. Beat Cream Cheese with sugar in separate bowl. Combine Dream Whip mixture with Cream Cheese mixture. Spread over Graham Cracker Crust, then top with Pie filling. Let set up in Fridge for a couple hours. 

P.S. The original recipe called for 3 cans of cherry filling, my MIL said the cans used to be smaller. However I find 2 cans to be plenty! 

P.S.S. If you can't find Dream Whip you can subtitute Cool Whip. I will tell you though that Dream Whip does give it a little better consistency and changes the flavor slightly.

What Works Wednesdays-Sally Hansen Insta Dri Polish

So I played with the name of Wednesdays theme a bit. Still trying to come up with something that isn't such a mouthful! Not entirely satisfied with this name either since my intent was not to only post stuff I like, but stuff I tried and want to keep you from trying cause it sucks! But I guess I will go with it for now.

Onto the Product:
My sister always teases me that the only thing I keep in excess is hygiene/grooming products. And while I don't like to admit it she is right. I have gone through 3 different types of shampoos,conditioners, and body washes (each!) in the last 2 months. I refuse to use up a product I don't love, however when I do love something I tend to buy it in excess. See when I love a product the manufacturers are instantly alerted and discontinue the item withing months normally!

All that to say that I recently tried a product that has been out for a while and found that I adore it! It is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color.

I picked these up at Wally World. They cost around $5. So while they aren't the cheapest Polish there they are totally worth it!This stuff does everything it touts. Not only does it dry within minutes you only need one coat! No primer, no topcoat, just one (albeit liberal) coat:) The last time I used this polish was right before Easter and it held up with chipping for about 10 days. Now granted I don't wear a lot of closed toed shoes, but I thought that was pretty dang good for a 2 minute pedicure. I used my lovely model Gilly to show off the pretty coral color.

I figured you would rather look at her cute little pigs than my fat feet. Plus I was wearing the darker color which isn't the best in photos and has been on now for about 2 weeks;P. So now no excuses to not have pretty sandal ready toes. Let me know what colors you try!

Tasty Tuesdays-My Easy "Salsa"

This is really not a very authentic version of salsa. In fact NO real vegetables are harmed in the making of this salsa. But to me that is part of the appeal. See I HATE big chunks in my salsa, plus I almost always have the ingredients on hand for this.

Here's what you will need:


-1 Can Diced Tomatoes (I usually Drain because I don't like my salsa soupy, but you may:)
-1 Can Ro Tel (Again I Drain! see above note)
-1 Tsp Garlic Salt
-1 Tsp Ground Cumin
-1 TBS Sugar
- Chopped fresh Jalapeno to taste

Ok are you ready for these complicated steps? Huh are you?? Well here they are:

Put all above in Blender/Food Processor and pulse till desired consistancy! Seriously thats all! And honestly I have used both my Food Processor and my Blender and they work equally well:)
Serve with Tortilla Chips and Refrigerate leftovers ( salsa tends to keep for about a week or so).

Ok important side notes about ingredients! I have never used the above tomatoes before and honestly didn't care for it. I normally use regular diced petite tomatoes with better success. Also I choose the mexican blend of rotel because I adore cilantro, however please use what ever type your family would prefer:) Normally I just kinda eyeball all the spices, but I suggest you start out with the above amounts and work down or up from there. In my personal blend I WAY up the cumin and sometimes the sugar. You may prefer more garlic, but from personal experience I can tell you that amount of garlic usually doesn't require much adjusting. Also if you think you don't like Cumin please don't leave it out! Try even just 1/2 a tsp, it really does make this dish. Not world famous or anything but I find it fun and different, and most important EASY!

Blog Overhaul!!

It's long overdue so here it is! I am officially overhauling my blogging life. If you have met me you know that I LOVE a LIST! I have been told that I obsessively organize and I admit I do love a routine. SO why I never adopted that attitude towards my blog I will never figure out. However now that I have had that revelation I am applying it. My new blog will have a structure/routine. I am going to have some sort of theme for the 5 weekdays. Does this mean I will post a new blog every day? Chances are good....NO! I had an epiphany not an intervention! Yet I think going to my computer everyday and having some direction in which to take my blogging will increase the postings. So with out further ado my new blogging schedule:

Manic Mondays- this will be my "free" day, I may post ANY random thoughts I want that day.
Tasty Tuesdays- Maybe my weekly menu, usually a recipe and hopefully a picture. Let me know what you want to see here and I will do my best.
What I tried Wednesdays- This one is a mouthful so if you have a better name please send it to me! I often get asked about new products I have tried or even things I have use that just work! So on this day I will post a product that I have tried or I currently use and give it my "Robyn Rating". Suggestions for products are welcome:)
Thursdays??- Ok honestly I am stumped as to what to post Thursdays but I didn't want to put my blog on hold while I figured it out.
Family Fridays- I will try and post quips and pics from current family going ons.

Wish me luck! I am not so good with the posting of pics and all of this together will be a learning experience. I am excited about it though and hope it is as fun as I think it will! Kels, Aunt Dawn, even Clare hope you are prepared to field some questions about posting pics, linking things etc!

Virtual Tour of My New Home

French Bread Frenzy

Warning this is a totally fluffy post! Read only if you have excessive time on your hands and nothing to do with it:)

Today I picked up some HUGE beautiful looking loafs of French Bread at Sam's Club. These babies were CHEAP yet so yummy looking I couldn't pass them up...



Yet it posed a dilemma. How do you go about using approximately 5 feet of French bread? Here's what I came up with:
Monday: Potato Soup with fresh hunks of French bread slathered in butter
Tuesday: French Bread Pizzas
Wednesday: Steak Sandwiches on French loaf buns
Thursday: French Toast made with real (but by now slightly stale!) French Bread

According to my calculations I should use about a foot or so of bread a day and end up with very little waste on my $2.48 investment. I was proud of myself for managing to come up with a fairly varied menu that encompassed all three meals on one day or the other!

So there it is my most pointless blog to date. Hope I didn't fry to many of your brain cells:)

It's that time of year...

So I want to be honest and state that Christmas is really not my favorite holiday. However I am learning to appreciate more and more about this over commercialized date. I realized one of the biggest reasons I don't get to excited about Christmas is because I am OCD. I want it all, and I want it all done right! You know pretty and fun with carols in the background while I do it:) But since that is just a dream and not life I am learning to make the most of what I can have. I didn't even want a dumb tree this year how Scrooge McDuck was that! Yet my husband the perpetual postive one was insistent on the whole tree experience right down to chopping it down with hand saw! I know I will look back on the pictures of that day with delight, so why do I fight it going in?

I want my children to have as many happy memories of the holiday as I have to I strive to do all the "fun" things I can think of. One of them being this years "Advent Box". This is a pretty box that I am using to help the kids count down the last two weeks till Christmas. Every morning there is some little activity, craft, or candy in the box to help us stay focused on being a family this season. Yesterday's box held little mugs, hot cocoa packets, christmas shaped marshmallows, and cookies so we could have a hot cocoa party. Today we decorated foam chrismas trees with foam sticker ornaments. I also have dragged out all the Christmas books I have been collecting since before the kids were born, I almost have enough to read a different Christmas story every night till the actual date. We put up what little decor I haven't tossed in my efforts to have as little as possible to move around the country. Overall we aren't doing anything monumental or life changing this season. What we are doing is making the most of a holiday that celebrates the birth of something that was life changing!