3 words.. DORA THE EXPLORER

marley met her today.. and well i think the pictures speak for the themselves... i have never seen in her such awe!!!

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the positive side..

so many times you hear the hardships of having a child with "special needs"... and im tired of going that route.. yes life is hard.. we each have our own lil thing that we wish wasn't there.. but then you couldn't imagine your life any different... its those things that help define who we are as people and without those things... life would be to easy.. making us less strong, less knowledgeable, less commited to making a difference... and i am all for all of those...

but i will tell you my most favorite things about dylan's autism and sensory issues:

1.) he is gives the strongest most amazing hugs EVER
2.) he does not like a mess.. therefore i have to try and keep the house as clean as possible so that he will actual play and function and not just sit in a chair and watch tv... this is adams favorite thing.. they all LOVE a clean house
3.) thanks to his ocd cleaning habits as i like to call it.. i never EVER have to clean his room he does it every day.. and MAKES HIS BED EVERY MORNING
4.) we have met some of the most amazing people.. i would have never had the opportunity to meet
5.) he has the best manners... he is a rule follower to the T.. please, thank you, no thank you, yes sir, yes ma'am
6.) he adores puzzles... to me its one of the greatest toys.. he uses his brain... not to mention its kind of time consuming so when i need an extra minute to breathe i just ask him to go and do a puzzle
7.) he loves to go sledding bc the bumps in the snow feel goo to him on his belly -- this is something new we just found out and have been taking advantage of this winter
8.) i am his go to person and for as many times as being his go to person means i get a ton most of the punishment (ie. punching, hitting, kicking, yelling at when he is overwhelmed bc he doesn't know what to do) i think of them as LOVE TAPS.. and i will take those taps from him.. knowing that it makes him feel better.. and that I CAN HELP HIM

thats just a handful of them.. i could go on for hours.. just like i could go on for hours about the girls... these "things" are what make him part of who he is.. and part of who we are as a family...

so maybe today each one of us should try not to dwell on the negative.. and look at the positive side..

i know it just made my day a little brighter!

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sometimes you just need a little note to pick you up..

so in a post about me boohooing about what life has thrown at my family.. i received some wonderful pick me up notes.. about not worrying about how presents do not matter.. and its what the heart gives.. and with that.. i simply re-evaluated my thoughts.. looked deep inside put my own pride on the side.. and realized that it was true... and this weekend.. we had 2 parties that we were not going to go to.. well simply bc.. we could not show up empty handed...

i thought about whats my talent.. what can my heart give to them...
and i busted out my old rusty sewing machine... and started going to town..
i loved the way the presents turned out.. i tried to personalize them.. and i will admit i put more thought and HEART into these presents than any other present i have purchased at target or anything like that.. i hope they love them as much as i do... and to you lil lady who changed my thought process... THANK YOU... from the bottom of my heart!

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oh einstein bagles.. how i love thee

and not to mention their coupons...
ahhhhhhh
click on the picture and print.. then go get some bagels.. and go now.. bc you know that silly place closes so early!

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what do you want to do before you die

have you ever seen the buried life on mtv?
if you haven't its a story of a group of boys who travel the states in a purple bus crossing off the top 100 things off of their bucket list. everytime they cross something off their list... the help another random stranger cross something off of their list...


i have seen them... help deliver a baby, ask out the girl of their dreams, make a toast at a strangers wedding...
and they have help strangers by...helping a dad find his long lost son, help a teacher help his school get their first working computer

it got me to thinking...
what do you want to do before you die..

honestly..
my #1 would be.. to watch my children go through life without having to worry about "can we afford it"... life has been so full of ups and downs.. and we find ourselves every day saying "hunnie... we can't.. we don't have the money" and this is very honest and raw..."babe, im sorry we cannot go to so and so's bday party bc we can't buy a present"... i cannot see us changing that phrase in a long time... and the day my kids never have to worry about any of that.. is a day where i feel like i can breathe.. and maybe go onto the next item on my bucket list.. but until then.. i strive to cross that off...


SOOOOOO what do you want to do before you die?!?!

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i can always count on her

being big sister to dylan is HARD work i tell ya..
really hard work.. you have to be 100% understanding... you have to be able to help your momma out... you have to know what it takes to calm down your big brother.. and you also have to know how to protect your little sister from big brother dylan at times.

and the one who has stepped up to the plate.. and sometimes i forget to thank her.. is miss sierra...



and well this past weekend she surprised me again...
the kids received tickets to disney on ice from their pipa for their christmas present... the minute we walked in dylan "shut down"
he wanted nothing to do with the place..
the first 15minutes while waiting for the show to start dylan and daddy stayed at the top of the stairs by the usher.. i then went over to him when the show started and daddy went back by the girls...

well 2minutes into the lights being shut off and we were kicked out by the security... so then we were told we needed to find the head of ticket sales..
IT TOOK 15minutes to find one... then they lead us to the side of the theater.. where you cannot see anything and said you can sit here.. i thought it would be fine.. DARK, NO ONE AROUND.... was i wrong.. dylan spent the whole first half laying limp on me...

HE DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THE 1ST HALF.. neither did i...
at intermission daddy and i switched...

and sierra proceeds to tell me.. mommy i took your camera and took pictures bc i figured you didn't see any of it.. and i really know how much you love the princesses..

what a loving, smart, kind and amazing soul.. she thought of me before she thought of herself... and so thanks to her i have memories of what she saw through her eyes.. and that brings the biggest smile to my face!!!

she's a special girl... and i should really remind her more often of how much i appreciate her!

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seriously folk....

how does this man melt my heart the way he does...

scenario:
i am doing laundry and all of a sudden i hear the loud clang of tons of CHANGE... i say.. "dylan did you get in your bank"... there is silence.. then marley comes running down "mommy dylan get his money out ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL... of it"

normally i would be a little frustrated.. just because it takes forever to put away..
well i take my time.. and head back up..

and dylan says "look mommy a picture for you... its me hugging you"

ok.. bring out the waterworks..

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freebie alert

so now being a full-time stay at home mommy... i am extremely thriftier than i was before if that is even a possibility..

anywho.. lucky for you.. i love sharing my great finds..
so walgreens.. TOMORROW ONLY
print this coupon and receive 15% off for FAMILY and FRIENDS



also use coupon code VDAY online to make a FREE 8x10 collage


AND use coupon code LOVE10 to receive 25 FREE 4x6 when you purchase 25 images

come on.. sounds like this can be a REALLY good valentine's day!

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whoa dude.. did you feel that...

so strange.. an earthquake in illinois..
4am we woke up to the house... the windows.. and the bed shaking along with a dog going crazy... my husband jumps up and says holy cow that was an earthquake.. i said NOOOO.. it must have been a snowplow (considering we just had a foot of snow dumped on us) but i open up the windows.. and wow there are atleast 12houses with their lights on.. did we all hear the snow plow... so now im awake i turn on the news.. and YUP

a 4.3 earthquake in the western suburbs.. well that would explain it all!!!

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one more great valentine post

here is such a great printable valentine idea also...
for the older tween in your life...



CLICK HERE for the download
thanks to stylecrush

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happy national bagel day!

and in honor of that.. eisntein bros bagels is giving away B1G1 FREE bagels...
you have to become of FAN OF EINSTEIN BROS BAGELS on FACEBOOK... then click the BAGEL DAY tab on top.. coupons are good till 9/16...

HAPPY BAGEL EVERYONE!

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do your kids want to give out something different for vday this year?

sadly.. mine no longer want me to take a picture and print it out thing and pass those out with suckers attached... and im not a fan of those whole cardboard valentines.. i always like to do something different... and since we are trying to opt out of too much sugar this year.. look at what i found!



chuck e cheese.. is offering these FREE valentine's that are also a GIFT.. 5 FREE TOKENS.. all i can say is sierra and dylan are SOOOOOOOOOO excited to be passing them out this year!

click here to get your valentines

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tell me im not the only one who loves to do this

everyone knows my favorite place on earth is IKEA..
and not like i shop the entire store.. sometimes i love to just go look around at the displays and get decorating ideas... and get my brain moving..
and well its also nice bc... I GET TO SPEND TIME ALONE WITH THE HUBBY... so 2 of my favorite things.. time with the man.. and window shopping... you ask how... i do that.. well they have the best FREE childcare play area there.. I LOVE IT.. 1hr of silence is amazing... well this weekend its even better bc ON TOP OF FREE WINDOW SHOPPING.. and FREE CHILDCARE... KIDS EAT FREE!!!!!!! ahhhhhhh i am all for
FREE FUN!!!

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what are you doing tuesday night?

if you are like me.. and LOVE valentine's day, especially the fun little crafts projects.. you are going to head over at 6-8PM to your local MICHAEL'S CRAFT STORE... to let your kids make these fun valentine's gift bags... .79cents for a FUN night.. i'm all for that..

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my babies.. big girl room

i have been avoiding fixing it up after big sister sierra got her own room.. why.. well simply bc that officially means she is a big girl...
but she LOVES it.. I LOVE IT...



I ADORE a clean pretty room... when its a mess i cannot even look at the room... today i found myself laying on her floor looking up at the ceiling when no one else was in there... ahh the simple joys in life..












next is to tackle the little man's room.. and then attempt to clean the TWEENS room

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oh how i love to bake

and when Kate at the Gaines Gang.. showed me the recipe for STRAWBERRY BREAD & STRAWBERRY BUTTER.. I could not wait to get the oven warmed..and well Miss Marley could not wait to eat it!






here is the recipe

BREAD
1. Mix together

a. 2 10oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
b. 4 eggs
c. 1 ½ cup veg. oil
2. Sift together
a. 3 Cups flour
b. 2 Cups Sugar
c. 1 tsp. baking soda
d. 1 tsp salt
e. 1 tsp cinnamon
3. Combine
a. Strawberry mixture and flour mixture. Stir until dry ingredients are moist- Don’t over mix
4. Pour
a. Into greased and floured 2 9x5
5. Bake at 350* 1 hour until toothpick comes clean

BUTTER
1 10oz frozen strawberries, thawed
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup powdered sugar







WARNING... this is um... how do you say it... hmmm... well not the nicest thing on the planet for your waistline.. however... i think your stomach will forever love you!!

The critics agree... THIS IS A KEEPER!!!

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