I won, I won!!

So, about a week ago, there was a HUGE giveaway carnival over at Bloggy Giveaways. I spent... oh, 5 or 6 hours entering the contests. Ridiculous, but completely addicting I tell you.

Well, it paid off! I won a BEAUTIFUL set of handmade cards from Heather over at Cool Zebras. Here they are (to be honest, I stole the pictures she posted on her blog... I hate dealing with our camera sometimes! They look even cuter in person!):



How cute are those?? I will totally be needing them for upcoming thank you notes! Thanks Heather!

News and a Meme

So, for all 2 people who read this blog... the reason I have been gone for a bit is due to some exciting news. That's right, we are expecting! My husband and I are SO excited that the Lord has blessed us with this new life!!

The reason I haven't been blogging is because of my new friend "morning sickness". Oh, how I hate morning sickness... first, because it isn't just in the morning it is ALL.DAY.LONG! Second, I am not actually throwing up, I am just nauseous. This is one time in my life where I wish I would throw up because maybe it would make me feel better!

So, now for some fun... I was tagged for a Meme by GreenStyleMom.

In the Past year (I'm using 2007):
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Hmmm... this is a hard one. I guess when you get older, you don't really get embarrassed easily! I would have to say it was when I was taking my niece to the bathroom, and she yelled out "I think someone is going poop!"... and in fact, we walked out at the same time as the person in the stall next to us who was as embarrassed as me!

What are you proudest of achieving?
In the past year I am most proudest of finishing my internship, passing the exam to become a registered dietitian, and getting licensed!

What would you do differently with the benefit of hindsight?
I would call my friends more often. We all recently got married or had children, and I think we have all been "too busy" to call one another. I wish I would have called more.

What did you love about last year?
I loved being married! We had a pretty rough year with our car accident. It happened in July, and I am still going through physical therapy and the legal stuff is STILL going on. It definatly brought my husband and I closer.

In the Next year (I'm using 2008):
What do you want to say you accomplished next year on this day?
That I have a safe, natural birth and deliver a beautiful blessing in September!

What are you looking most forward to in the next year?
Our baby! I am looking forward to having this new life grow inside of me and learn more about myself in the process.

What goal of yours are you most tantalized by?
Hmmm....

If you knew you only had the next year to live, what would you make sure to do? What is stopping you?
Spend more time with friends. Travel. Laugh more. Worry less.

Look what I found, look what I found!

I AM SO EXCITED! We have been trying to slowly decorate our home, and the most recent room has been the office. I have really wanted a chair in here to have a "reading nook". SO......... Look what I found at Goodwill today for $4.99 -

Ok, yes I said four dollars and ninety-nine cents... SO EXCITED! How cute is this antique chair? One leg is a TINY bit wobbly, but nothing you notice sitting in it.

I found it as soon as I walked in the store, and didn't want anyone else to have it. I picked it up, not knowing it weighed at least 35 pounds, and realized I couldn't exactly carry it around with me while I shopped for other bargains.

So, I took it to the front and asked if they could hold it... they said yes, but I was still paranoid that someone else would grab up my amazing find! As I kept shopping, about every 10 seconds, I would glance up front making sure my new treasure wasn't being taken to a new home. Seriously, I was ready to fight anyone who even thought about touching it.

I know, I know... I sound insane, but FOUR DOLLARS AND NINETY-NINE CENTS! Who wouldn't want to strap it to their back so no one else could take it?

Anyways... I am excited! Now, I am off to finish it off by draping it with the asparagus colored woven throw I found at Tuesday Morning for about $5! YAY!

New Years!

Wow, I have so many ideas for things I want to post about, but it always seems to get away from me!

Tonight we are having some friends over (they have 4 kiddos) to celebrate New Years. We weren't sure until today that they were coming over, so I had no idea what I was going to make. I had barely anything in the fridge, and to top it off, their kids are very very picky eaters! So, I decided on this menu and made a run to Whole Foods:

Tortilla Chips w/ Cilantro Salsa
Spinach Dip - w/ crackers, carrot & celery sticks
Popcorn (Not from a bag!)
Mediterranean Pasta (recipe below)
Cheese Pizza (from Whole Foods)
Citrus Brownies (recipe below)
Sparkling Apple Juice
White Wine (Dry Comal Creek)

The pasta is a recipe I made up about a year ago, and my husband LOVES it:

Mediterranean Pasta

1lb Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
6oz feta cheese

1/4 white onion - chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 can artichoke hearts - drained
1 can hearts of palm - drained
1 can baby corn - drained
1 jar roasted red bell peppers - drained
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pepper as desired

Combine all ingredients, except pasta and feta, in a large bowl. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (can do in morning).

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to serving bowl.

Heat large wok over medium heat and add marinated vegetables. Sautee for 5-10minutes.

Add vegetables and feta to pasta. Serve!

For the brownies, I use this recipe and add the zest of one orange and 2 teaspoons orange juice.

So, hopefully this evening will go over well. What is everyone else doing for New Years Eve?

Today...

... is a wonderful day filled with hope. It is a hard day for some, and an incredibly joyous day for others. I pray that you will be filled with the hope that the Lord brings. I pray that we may continue to celebrate everyday we are given.

Peace. Love. Blessings.

Menu Plan Monday: Week of December 17, 2007

Wow, has it really been a week since I last posted? My goodness! Well the theme of this weeks menu is: FRUGAL! The budget is a bit tight the rest of the month, so I am doing my best to keep it as cheap as possible!

Monday: Swiss Chard Soft Tacos w/ black bean & corn salsa, side of sliced oranges
Tuesday: Split Pea Soup w/ homemade bread & side salad topped with vinaigrette
Wednesday: Husband's work Christmas Party - leftover Black Bean Burgers I froze from last week if we are still hungry
Thursday: Honey Baked Lentils w/ side salad topped with Tahini Dressing
Friday: Date Night (We always use the Entertainment Book)
Weekend/Other: Leftovers, Whole Wheat Pasta w/ tomato sauce
Snacks: Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Popcorn (the real kind!)

I had an exciting moment at Whole Foods - Organic Valley Butter is on sale for $4.99 a pound, and then there is a coupon for $1.50 off in the new Mambo Sprouts coupon book! YAY! (I wish I could find local butter, but I have yet to find any!)

Well, that is the week - I was able to keep it at about $58 this week... I know, not as good as Crystal who does it for $35 a week, but we buy all organic, and local if possible. We also buy things as least processed as possible - thereby decreasing the amount of coupons available. Most coupons are for processed/packaged foods.

I also shop at Whole Foods which tends to be pricier, but I like supporting a company who has higher standards than most with what they will offer the public. I wish I could shop at farmers markets more, but they are hit or miss here.

Our usual grocery bill is between $75-100 per week including all toiletries, cleaning supplies, and things like probiotics.

My question to y'all (all 2 of you who read this!) is: How much is your weekly grocery bill? And, how do you keep it as frugal as possible?

Menu Plan Monday: Week of Dec 11,2007

Ok, so this week has been a little hectic. We spent all day Monday in mediation with a bunch of lawyers for this. I feel so out of whack and off schedule. So, here I am doing Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday...

Monday: I pulled out leftover butternut squash soup from the freezer... so glad I had this on hand!
Tuesday: Orange Glazed Tofu w/ Sesame Bok Choy and Brown Rice
Wednesday: Black Bean Burgers w/ Sweet Potato Fries
Thursday: Calcutta Eggplant (from World Food Cafe book) & Red Lentil Dal w/ Naan & plain yogurt
Friday: DATE NIGHT!
Weekend/Other: Sauteed Mushroom & Veggie Tacos
Snacks: Zucchini bread