ON A ROLL

We got another package delivered to our house by FedEx. It was the sort and store toy organizer. I already got the exact same organizer but I needed another one. Boy CSN Stores ships fast! One day I just ordered it and before you know it, its at your doorstep. So If you interested what the toy organizer looks like head on to my other blog Mama's Sanity and see how easy and accessible it can be for your kids. Check out CSN Stores to see what else they have that you may need. It will soon be your one stop shop.

IT ARRIVED!

Wow! My Order from CSN Stores has been delivered already. My that was fast! Order online usually take between 5-7 business day unless you pay for one day shipping that will cost more. I ordered 4 things from the store Friday night. And by the next day I got an e-mail informing me that my order has been shipped, how cool is that! I got so excited when 2 of the 4 stuff I ordered online finally arrived on my doorstep today. I couldn't wait to open it. Curious about what I got? Here is some photos of my two purchase.





The big box contained my dry cereal dispenser. I got it in black since out kitchen counter is black. As you can see Princess Bruiser couldn't wait to try it out. Now I don't have to pour there cereals for them, they can do it themselves with just a turn of the handle. To keep the cereal fresh it also has a stopper lid that you can snap onto the opening of the dispenser. As for the smaller package its my 32 piece deluxe icing tip set. I actually ordered everything from cookware.com is part of CSN Stores 200+ stores online. CSN Stores has great stuff and the best thing about their store? They offer free shipping on selected items and its very fast. You won't have to wait a week before getting your purchase. I would know, I got mine today and I am happy as can be.

WET WET SUNDAY!

Rain, rain go away come again another day!

What a wet wet Sunday were having. It hasn't stopped raining since around ten this morning. Rain and I don't really mix well together. I hate getting wet and my feet getting plashed with puddle water. Rain gives me additional work around the house. How come? When you have a dog you will know. The backyard gets all muddy and the dog is playing outside, running and getting mud all on his paws and his underbelly. If my area rug could talk it would probably beg me to take him off the floor so the dog won't track dirt all over him, lol.

Today's drive to Baltimore to pick up Kayla was a little scary. I hate going out in the rain. The roads are slippery, visibility is poor and its just plain scary. Luckily Ralph picked up Kayla because he knows that his mom will never be able to drive in the heavy rain and at night. We finally got home safe and sound. I just want the rain to end before our basement floods. So I sing again:

"Rain , Rain Go Away! Come Again Another Day!"

MELTED SIDING

Did I ever tell you guys the time that our siding on the back deck caught on fire? Everything is fine though, we extinguished the fire just in time. Still, it left a big damage on the siding, melted it off. Ralph was grilling some chicken, he just closed the lid to come inside for his spices when he came back it was already one fire. To make the long story short we had look for contractors to give us estimates. Coincidentally, we just got part of our roof fixed and Ralph called them if they do siding. They gave us the cheapest estimate and even offered to put in new outdoor wall lights. It would have been nice if we got Hinkley lighting for the outside. I like the Hinkley Pottery design. It gives the back deck a whimsical look. Oh well, Ralph wanted just the regular outdoor wall lights. He had already gotten it so there was no point in returning it and purchasing another. If you need new Indoor, Outdoor lighting for you house click the link because its worth checking.

SO LONG MINNIE

Look at what our dog dragged in! Poor Minnie Mouse has seen better days. This was Kaitlyn's toy, I forgot who gave it to her but this one talks. Our dog Sunny don't really chew their toys but the kids let him play with this once and now he thinks that its his toy. My kids have so many stuffed toys in the house, I am donating some of it soon. Kaitlyn was sad when she saw what happened to her Minnie Mouse. I explained to my kids that it wasn't Sunny's fault. They should never have let him play with it and leave there toys all over the floor in the playroom. Like most kids they make a mess and whine when its time to clean up. Now, I made up a rule that they can play with almost any toy in the playroom as long as they clean up after themselves and it has to be one toy at a time. They usually follow it but if you don't stay on top of the situation they will take advantage, lol. What can you do? Kids can be kids but that doesn't mean I will tolerate bad behavior. And as for Minnie Mouse I had to throw her in the garbage before Sunny gets a hold of the voice box inside her and choke or something. Do you think my kids have learned their lesson about not leaving stuffed toys on the floor? They haven't, I still have to constantly remind them to pick up the toys on the floor so Sunny won't chew it. As for the dog, he knew he was in big trouble and just gave me that sad doggy eye look with his head down. Its seems like I now have 3 kids, 2 of them human and 1 is a dog, lol....

FIT FOR A KING

From now to the next couple of month people will be filling taxes and getting the much awaited Tax refund. Two years ago our biggest splurge when we got our tax return was getting a new mattress. I had no idea mattress would be so expensive. Ralph and I had to go to more than a dozen place to find the right one for the right price. We finally found a great place where they had good mattress sale withing our budget. Of course we didn't just want to buy what was on sale and not look at the quality. We thought long and hard and tried on so many mattresses until we found one. We decided on a king size bed so we can have a sleep over with the kids and still have room. The first night we got it we had a sleep over with the kids and they loved it. I was a little worried though because the bed was raised higher than our old one. Kaitlyn was only 16 months old and I was worried that she might fall of the bed trying to get down or fall off from playing with her sister. My worries were for naught, nothing happened to my kids. Since we got our mattress taken cared of already our next project is buying new mattresses for the two empty bedrooms. Since all our tax refund is already budgeted we will have to wait for next year and hopefully get much better sales.

WELCOMING MARCH

March is finally here! A few more weeks to go then its finally going to be Spring. Well, I am looking forward to warmer weather but not so with the pollen situation. Every Spring I suffer from severe allergy due to the pollen in the air. My nose would be so stuffy that I have to breathe through my mouth instead of my nose. My eyes would get so watery and itchy that its get very irritated from rubbing my hands on it. Medication helps but it can only do so much. Still, I am looking forward to hearing the birds chirps and the trees start to bloom. I think everybody has had enough of winter and just want a change of pace from wearing to much to wearing something that doesn't require a winter coat going out. I am so looking forward to Spring because I know that Summer will be hot its tail. I love it when it snows winter but I can't take the cold anymore so don't dilly dally and just let your brother Spring come early..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I just want to greet my MIL a very Happy Happy Birthday. She was indeed surprised when we called her out of her room after dinner. Even more so when I told her that I baked the cake and decorated it myself. She thought it was from the store, lol. I guess I'm getting better at it. I still need to find the perfect butter cream frosting and the perfect chocolate cake recipe. She made a wish and blew out her cake. Before I end this post I want to write a little something for her.

Mom,

I thank you everyday for being around for me and the kids. I thank you for opening your arms to be and welcoming me in your family. I thank you for loving my girls and for watching them when I ask you. You have taken care of me and treated me as your own. You are so loved and appreciated. I may not say it enough but we all love you and thankful for a mom and grandma like you. Good health and many more years is what we wish for you.. Happy happy birthday again mom,we love you..

TALK WITH HER BOYS

Tomorrow is my MIL's 69th birthday. I am baking her a cake and crossing my finger that she doesn't come out of her room and ruin our surprise. Yesterday, Angelo's family and one of his older kids came down to take mom out to dinner. We just went to our favorite Chinese buffet. And by golly was it packed with people. Eating out on a weekend in Delaware is not a good idea. We had to wait for 15 minute to finally get seated. As usual we have a blast while talking. Before leaving the house I sneaked in a candle in my bag to take with me. When we were all done eating I went to get a slice of cake on the dessert buffet and put that single candle one top and went over to our table. We all sang happy birthday to her. As expected she got teary eyed. When we all got home Ralph, Angelo and Mom talked about her life insurance again. Its always something that she continues to talk to her kids about. The life insurance she already has right now is enough but she is thinking of getting another one but wants her son's opinion on the matter. Ralph suggested that she check out Wholesaleinsurance.net and see if she can find one and to talk to them after that. I hate when they start talking about insurance and dying but its a subject that needs to be addressed. Mom said that she will let her boys know when all 3 of them are present so she can go over it with them. Do you have insurance? If not, its time to think about getting one for you or your family.

DRIVE OR NOT TO

A few more weeks of Winter and Spring will be here. I am looking forward to Spring not only for the warmer weather but I get to start learning how to drive. I couldn't very well start driving when winter is still around. I am not a hundred percent sure about driving though but, I have to learn it if I want to be more independent. Ralph got a third car, we call it the beat up old car. He said he got it for me so when I start learning to drive he doesn't have to worry to much about the car. The car may be an older model but I have driven it and it works well. Ralph just got new brake pads for the van and the Taurus(3rd car). Ralph's personal car, his Mustang is in tip top shape so no work need be done. He keeps all the cars well maintained because we are planning on getting another 3 years out of the Van before getting a new one. I just hope that driving will eventually come easy. Well, practice makes perfect right? I'll just have to be confident and be more observant while I am still on the passenger seat. Before long, I'll be the one who will be driving.

A DATE TO REMEMBER, AT LAST

At long last, Ralph and I finally managed to go on our date. It may have been late but it was worth all the mishap we endured,lol. So many things have happened this month that I almost forgot to post about the success of our 4th Wedding anniversary date. We got to Firebirds Wood Fired Grill just in time for dinner. The place was cozy and smelled great inside with all the food cooking on the wood fire.Behinds me were wines, stacked from wall to ceiling. Good thing Ralph and I don't drink or else we'd be running off with a few bottles. I could not decide what to eat at first. It's not like they had such a huge menu, It don't like ordering when I don't see a picture of the food. While I mulled over what I wanted Ralph decided to order an appetizer.It was a chicken something, I forgot the name. It was delicious though. It was just the right appetizer to wet our appetite for more. We were famished and wiped that one clean and I liked the salad mix on top. We also ordered a nacho's with dip, It was also so good.
After much thought Ralph finally decided on a prime rib aout 12-14 oz. and loaded masked potatoes. We wanted that since we normally don't eat that at home. We do make prime rib from time to time but only Ralph, my MIL and the kids eat it. Don't like how thick the meat is and it not being cooked well done.And what pray tell did you think I ordered? Well I got the rib eye steak and loaded mashed potatoes. Our food took a little longer since I wanted my meat cooked well done with absolutely no red or blood, lol. The food was great but Ralph and I were already full from enjoying the appetizer. Even though I still managed to eat almost all my food. It was like the way Ralph's makes the T-bone steak we usually have at least once a month. It was well seasoned and cooked to perfection and the meat was just so tender and melt in your mouth. I wasn't to keep on the baked potatoes but it still worked. As for Ralph he only took about 4 bites of his food and decided to ask for a container. We didnt' even think about ordering dessert. All in all it was a good meal. The best thing about out meal, we only paid $30 including tip, thanks to our generous friend Krista for giving us a $75 gift card. If I had to rate the restaurant out of 5*, I would give it a 4. The ambiance was good, food delicious, and wide selection of wine.

RIDING IT

Giddy yap! That stuffed horse belongs to Kayla. Ralph got that for her December of 2008. He actually sneaked this in the house coz he knew I was not going to be to happy with is. You see,we already had so much stuff for the kids and he was afraid I was going to tell him to return it. Both kids love horses specially Kayla. I think its the Native American Indian blood in her. She has so many horse toys that I threw away some of them already. That stuffed horse however takes the cake, its bigger than that unicorn she brought back from her mom last year. My SIL used to own horses when she was young. They had about 6 horses and she help with everything. She can't wait until they get a bigger place so she can buy one and let the kids enjoy riding the horse. We also have plans of enrolling Kayla this summer for horse riding lessons. Ralph said she will learn how to feed the horse, groom it and of course ride the horse. She is going to learn a lot about taking care of a horse like what is a saddle, horse tack,the appropriate riding gear and so much more. I am not to sure about the riding part, it makes me nervous. Both girls have already ridden a horse when we went to Dutch Wonderland last year and they both loved it. My SIL keeps promising them that in the summer she is going to take them somewhere so they can ride a horse. I have never been on a horse and I don't know if I'll be brave enough to get on one. Hopefully things will turn out as we plan for this Summer activities.

horse tack

WHAT TO GET?

Doing reviews certainly has its benefits. I got a $180 credit for CSN Stores. I have yet to decide what to buy with that. Its hard to choose when you have so many choices. My plan was to buy window treatment for the dining room and the playroom. Or buy some bake ware stuff for my baking, or get something for the kiddos. My kids are not short of any toys so I see no point in getting them anything. It's about time that I buy something that I can benefit from. So I will probably get something for my baking, lol. Like another decorating tip for for when I need to frost my cake. I should have ordered it already since my MIL's birthday is coming up and I'm sure she wants me to bake her a cake and frost it as well. I am so many things on my mind right now that I don't know where and what to start,lol. First things first, I have to get myself off from surfing to much and start doing something.

MY PICK

Mother nature was out to trick us. We have had a gorgeous weather for the past days and wham! Before you know it, you are reminded that it is still winter and yes snow is falling. On those beautiful weather my kids got to play outside in our backyard. To families with smaller kids with a backyard its a good investment to a swing set for the kids. Not just any swing set but something durable like the wood swing sets the CSN stores are offering. CSN stores is a huge online store that sells anything and everything you may need for your family, kids and home. We already have a swing set that we got last year, it's almost identical to the Swing-n-Slide-PB 8210-Winchester Wood Compete Swing Set. Since we won't be needing a new swing set anytime soon I got side tracked checking out the whole site for something more to my liking. I am on the hunt for window treatment. The store has a wide collection of window treatments that you can choose from type, styles, and color. I have already set my eyes on this Drapes and Valance set and I will get this for the house. Check out the CSN Stores online and get your own little slice of shopping heaven, lol

DATE TO REMEMBER PT 2

This is the continuation of my blog post date to remember. I ended off that story without saying were we finally ended up spending our date that we have planned for weeks. An advance celebration for our 4th wedding anniversary. After checking out 4 restaurant we ended up at Applebees. I have wanted to eat there for some time now. Ralph wasn't really into it but he gave in since he was hungry. The Applebee's we went to was the one near Walmart. As soon as we pulled up into the parking lot we knew we were going to be seated right away. The place had a big bar in the center of the room with the tables and booths on the sides.From the start we knew we were not going to be happy. A sever didn't come to our table right away, only after 10 min. We started off with the Ultimate Trios appetizers, I took the picture to late, lol. It was actually good and we both liked it.For the main entree I had the Crispy Orange Chicken which is " A taste of the Orient-Applebee's style. Breaded chicken covered in a spicy-sweet orange glaze over our almond rice pilaf and a tasty mix of broccoli, red peppers, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms, carrots, and bok choy. Topped with toasted almonds and traditional crispy noodles". The chicken was yummy,I actually love the toasted almonds on it but was not thrilled with the rice. It was to dry and it smelled. As for Ralph he ordered the Florentine Ravioli with Chicken which is " Sliced, grilled chicken served over spinach & ricotta-stuffed half-moon ravioli in a roasted garlic Alfredo atop a blend of sautéed mushrooms, bruschetta, roasted red peppers, red onions, and fresh spinach. Served with toasted garlic bread". Ralph had a more memorable time with his food. When they served his food Ralph could not find the chicken. He just all of a sudden exclaimed in a very surprise but humorous voice" where the heck is the chicken" and proceeded to look for in on his plate. We were just laughing so much that the couple seated beside us joined in. Ralph flagged down the waited and we got his food back with the chicken. Ralph's was not happy with his food at all. We should have complained to the manager for the poor service but we didn't want to waste more time at that place. I don't know if we will ever go back to Applebee's but for sure it was a date to remember, a story worth telling our kids and future grandkids.