Boy Meets World season 1 GIVEAWAY

I wanted to do something on my blog for Christmas, because it's Christmas and I love it. I wasn't going to, and then I was, and then I wasn't. But now I am.

 

I'm hosting a giveaway, all on my own. No sponsors or anything funny, just me giving you something.

 

 

One of my favorite ever tv shows growing up was Boy Meets World. I finally managed to get the entire series on dvd for myself, but in buying the boxed set, I ended up with brand new, sealed doubles of seasons I already had. So I'm giving season one to you.

 

This giveaway is inspired by the fact that it's been announced that Boy Meets World is going to continue - with Girl Meets World. Corey and Topanaga themselves are returning as the parents of 13-year old Riley. I don't know who else may or may not be returning, but this is exciting enough for me.

 

So enter below to win your very own copy of Boy Meets World season 1. And spread the word.

Enter using the Rafflecopter stuff below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There's just no time

I've been struggling lately.

 

I survived the move without any kind of break down, but now that we're into the apartment, all the little stresses are getting to me.

 

And today they're getting to me big time.

 

I have reasons to believe that Chloe's back into teething mode. (Didn't we just get over that last tooth?) There has been excessive whining, and it looks like the rash is coming back.

 

There is barely anytime to eat. There is very little time to get stuff put away. I can barely keep up with the daily stuff like dishes. There's no time for groceries without Chloe going into major whine mode.

 

Boyfriend even spent part of his day off cleaning the old apartment for me.

 

I'm just too overwhelmed with stuff to do, and absolutely no time to do it.

 

That, paired up with budgeting and other personal pain-in-the-ass things, as well as work stresses, I am not keeping up so well.

 

I'm cranky. I'm stressed. I'm mean to everyone. I suck.

 

And ain't nobody got time for that.

 

But tomorrow, I think I'm going to do a small giveaway. Sponsored by just me and my money. So come back for that!

Time for some Holiday cheer up in here

This is how busy I am at work today.

 

But I'm taking a quick break to say hi.

 

We still have no internet at the new apartment townhouse. I can't believe we live in a townhouse.

 

I started organizing the basement last night. The basement where we basically threw everything to get it out of the main living areas upstairs. The basement where my craft area is going to be. You have no idea how much that excites me.

 

We put up our tree last night. It's lacking something, but I can't figure out what. It's artificial, and not a very full tree, and that makes me sad. It also means I need to buy a nice tree after the holidays when they're on sale.

 

Boyfriend doesn't know it yet but I might set up my smaller tree in the basement. Holiday cheer all over the place.

 

Oh how I love Christmas.

 

We watched Home Alone last night while we set up the tree.

 

I can't wait to do more Christmas shopping on my next pay day.

 

How are all your holiday preparations coming along?

Christmas Shopping and Moving Weekend

I don't want to forget about my blog in all the craziness of moving, which is this weekend, but even at work there just hasn't been any time. The hotel I work for hosts a Christmas dinner theatre and I've been working hard at booking, taking payments, doing seating charts and filling out the paper work. It's super busy, but I love it. And that's not even my original job - I'm still booking meeting rooms and all that regular stuff I always do. Oh how I love this job.

So I've been busy with that and moving, and everyday life.

 

Today I made a huge Christmas purchase, first thing in the morning at Toys R Us for our girls. Boyfriend was sweet enough to drive up with me in his own car, meet me there, I paid and he dragged it home while I went to work. I sure do love Black Friday sales when they work out in my favor.

 

I feel a little out of the loop since I'm lacking an "I'm Thankful" post this week, but I'm Canadian so I was thankful in October. I'm still thankful now, so read that post if you want a Thanksgiving-related one.

 

If not, you made it to the end of this boring post, and for that I thank you. Now I need to go get me a coffee. Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, my American friends.

So I took a sick day

Sunday night I wrote and scheduled a post, just recapping our simple weekend. I got up Monday morning at 6am with Chloe, thanks to the kitty, cranky but ready to face the day. I was up for about 15 minutes when I felt a wave of nausea. It passed. About 10 minutes later, another one.

 

And while I did not actually get sick, this feeling stayed with me on and off all day.

 

I know what you might be thinking, but no, I'm not expecting.

 

I'm not sure what I would've done otherwise, but I woke boyfriend up and he took care of Chloe's morning duties (feeding, dressing, packing her daycare bag), and took her to daycare with me. He had the day off, and had a cold so it was nice to have someone to spend my sick day with.

 

I took a morning nap and an afternoon nap, and they were just lovely, and much needed. I couldn't eat a thing most of the day. I just sipped on apple juice. I felt okay enough to go pick the girls up from daycare, but still felt tired, weak and a little shaky for most of the evening.

 

Finally, finally, I woke up Tuesday morning feeling weird, but not sick, and made my way to work. I've felt fine ever since, just extremely tired.

 

And that is the story of my sick day. And trust me, I don't have many.

 

Coming soon? Busy days at work and moving on the weekend.

 

Stay tuned. Or not. I might not be around much.

 

Here's what's been going on around here lately...

 

Chloe cuddles

 

Chloe in a bucket



Playing with a store display

 

This was our weekend

We had a weekend. I don't know if it was good or bad, it was just the weekend.

On Thursday I went and got my sister's cat, because she had to leave her apartment suddenly a few nights before. So now we have a cat. A super cute Siamese cat, but we're still on the fence about keeping it. She, Lily, is a really good cat. Loves cuddling, doesn't bite or scratch on purpose, is good with the kids. But she needs all her fixings and needles and I don't know if we can afford it, and I don't know if we're ready for the responsibility of another living thing in our household. But for now, she's cute enough to keep around. Pictures to come someday. Maybe. 

Photos taken November 3rd

The rest of the weekend was just spent with a bunch of babies. There was lots of baby-on-baby fighting, lots of crying, and trip to take the girls to visit some friends. 

Sunday was just me and Chloe. We had a successful trip to the mall. Successful meaning she didn't cry the entire time, and usually she whines the whole time we're in the car. 

Overall, a decent weekend, I guess, but nothing worth reporting. 

I haven't felt like writing much lately. Maybe you can tell. 

5 Recipes in 5 Weeks - A Food Challenge

I'm starting a new challenge. A challenge to step out of my comfort zone and start experimenting more with food. Boyfriend and I tend to go for the same meals, over and over, and we need to think outside the box a little.

One of the big problems, and his biggest flaw, is that boyfriend doesn't like cheese. I know! Cheese. I love it. I love it alone. I love it cold. I love it melted. I love it on almost everything. Food usually isn't food without cheese. So I'm not giving up cheese, but I need to try to find alternatives to feed him too. Sometimes.

So join me if you'd like, and choose your own recipes.

Challenge: try five completely different recipes within 5 weeks.

Start: November 19
End: December 25

 Recipe 1: Meatloaf

[ Meatloaf in Muffin Pan via Pinterest ]



It says it takes 15 minutes to cook, which is genius. I might follow my own recipe that I know and love, but use the same cooking method. Meatloaf and potatoes is one meal I love, and it doesn't need cheese.

Recipe 2: Sloppy Joe Casserolle

[ Sloppy Joe Casserolle via Pinterest ]

I've never had Sloppy Joes in my adultlife, so I don't know how I'd feel about this, but I also love the variations people have posted on the website - use beef with taco seasoning, crescent rolls unrolled as the bread, bread on top and bottom, use cheese, sneak in veggies. It sounds like something I could really work with, and if I only put cheese in my part, boyfriend should like it.

Recipe 3: Oven-Baked Meatball Sandwiches

[ Oven-Baked Meatball Sandwiches via Pinterest ]

I like that this recipe has room for variation as well. Mine can have cheese on top, cheese within the meatballs. I can hide veggies in the meatballs. It's simple - just balls, sauce, cheese and buns. You can get freezer meatballs if you want it to be even easier, but I'm not a fan of those, myself.

Recipe 4: Potato Bacon Casserolle

[ Potato Bacon Casserolle via Pinterest ]

It takes an hour to cook, and sounds like it might be a lot of food so I would probably put it together the night before and start baking it as soon as I got up in the morning. It sounds like it would work well if you had company over for breakfast. 

Recipe 5: Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps

[ Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps via Pinterest ]

Skip the tomato and put in some extra cheese, and this sounds amazing.

Bonus Recipe: Doritos Taco Bake

[ Doritos Taco Bake via Pinterest ]

This sounds so bad that it would be delicious. It isn't even slightly healthy, but it's a mess of cheese, sour cream, beef, and Doritos. I think I would love it. I'm not sure if boyfriend would try it. 

Bonus Soup Recipe: 

[ Loaded Potato Soup via Pinterest ]

I had to put this as a bonus recipe because I keep seeing potato soup recipes and I really want to try one, but it's something I think I could easily mess up, and end up with no dinner. So it's just a bonus for now.

So... is anyone joining in with me to make their own recipe list to try? Please do, and send me your link. For recipe ideas, see my food boards on Pinterest.

I don't feel like a college kid faking adulthood anymore

Sometimes when I take a look around, it leaves me breathless for a moment. 

I just can't wrap my head around how much life has changed in less than a year. 

Take this apartment, for instance. 

Almost a full year ago, I moved into this apartment, terrified about how I was going to make it on my own. I didn't know how I would get caught up on the bills by myself. I didn't know if I could survive alone with Chloe on so little sleep. I moved in here with the ugliest, free, dirty white couch and love seat that you could ever imagine. So gross, that my mother couldn't wait to buy me sheets to put over them. 

Somehow, I got into my own routine with Chloe. I got caught up on the bills, and still had a decent Christmas. I upgraded my gross off-white couch, to a less gross, free blue couch and chair set. 

I look around the room now, and I'm no longer watching tv on this baby: 

This is my tv:

Except right now it's my bedroom tv. And there's always clothing and clutter in front of it. This photo was taken last night. 

I don't sit on a dirty old couch set. I sit on a pretty couch set, and my apartment looks like adults live here, instead of young college students. 

Yes, these might all be material things, but I look around at it all and it makes me so happy. I'm not struggling to get by. I have nice things. I'm officially an adult. I provide for my baby. I have a place that I'm not embarrassed to bring people to. I look around and I feel like I'm doing something right. I'm not a kid any more. 

I'm a big girl now. 

I'm so happy with how far I've come since last year. 

Was there a moment in your life where you just looked around and felt so happy with how things have changed? 

Family Fun Time

On Saturday boyfriend and I both had the day off with our girls, so we took advantage and did something we'd been talking about doing for a long time. We took them to a big indoor play place that just opened in town. 

For less than $5 for each of the girls, they played happily for two hours, and could've stayed longer if it wasn't time to go home and eat. 

I had never seen Chloe so excited and happy. Her favorite part was the slide, so I'm definitely going to look into getting her one of those second hand. 

The rest of the weekend was spent with two little girls doing a lot of fighting, followed by a day of packing and cleaning the apartment, just boyfriend and I. Which was more fun than it sounds.

Anyhow, here's some iPhone photos of our playing adventure. 

Chloe loved this rocking toy

"Ahhh"

Lil M on the slide

"Yay, balls"

So much love for this slide

I linked this post up with Moments that Define Life and Momof6.

Silent Sunday: Family Picture?

My baby makes silly faces.

What I've Been Watching

Tv is my relax time, and boyfriend time lately, since I've been so busy I don't have the energy for much else. Somedays, tv time is also nap time or bed time. So here's what I've been watching these days, starting with current shows that are on tv.



[ via ]

90210

I started watching this show just before I had Chloe. I pretty much raced through the first few seasons of the show while I was up all night dealing with a newborn. It was different when I got to the end and had to wait for Netflix to update the new episodes. I'm still watching, and even though some of the story lines are getting old, and everyone has dated, well, everyone, it's still a good, mindless show to pass the time. Plus, I always can't wait to see who's going to cheat on who or what trouble Naomi is going to get into next. I love the drama.

- 3.5/5 stars. [ 90210 on imdb ]

[ via ]

Dexter

I was watching the older seasons of Dexter when I posted in August, and I've finally caught up and am watching the episodes as they air. Though no other season has been as good as season 4 with the Trinity Killer, the current season is pretty interesting now that Deb knows about Dexter's killing, and he risks getting caught in so many way.

- 4/5 stars still. [ Dexter on imdb ]



[ via ]

How I Met Your Mother

While this has been my favorite show since the first season, and while I still absolutely love seasons 1 and 2, and still love 3-5 just a little less, season 6 wasn't as great, I don't remember as much of season 7, and so far season 8 is just too darn cheesy. I still love the show, and probably always will, but it just seems to get cheesier and cheesier by the episode. It's getting a little less funny, and that makes me sad.
- 3.5/5 stars. [ How I Met Your Mother on imdb ]

I've been watching more, but this is enough for one day.

What have you been watching?

Ps.. Head over to the Facebook page and tell me what's the most creative Christmas gift you've ever received.

My 13 month old with the attitude

I mentioned a little while back that we visited my grandfather and took a bunch of pictures in the woods the weekend before Halloween. A lot of the pictures turned out so nice that of course I have to share. 

Chloe's been growing up so much lately.

Last night I was in the kitchen getting her supper ready and she was playing in the hallway. I looked over and all of a sudden she was walking into the kitchen.

She practices her walking all the time now, but still crawls 98% of the time. I think in a few weeks I'll have a full-time walker on my hands.

Oh the trouble we'll be in then.

She's also adopted a bit of an attitude. And by a bit, I mean a lot. 

Girlfriend now throws herself on the floor when she's mad, annoyed, or simply inconvenienced. Sometimes I'll try to put her down on the floor, and she won't sit. She just wants to go right to the floor, whining along the way, not caring if she hits her head. So far, it's still in the amusing stages, but I can see how it'll soon start to get annoying. I'm not a fan of tantrums, but at least they're not too loud. 

Usually I don't pay much attention when she does it. 

Except in Old Navy. It was hard to not pay attention the day she kept dropping to the floor in Old Navy while we were shopping. If I put her in the stroller, she'd arch her back until her body was straight as a board, balancing in the seat of the stroller. 

Yeah, my daughter is that child now. The one you don't get excited about taking into public. 

But like I said, it's still a little amusing to me. 

Besides that, she's all full of dadas and babas and uh ohs and tickle tickles. She loves to talk and make noise, and always wants to be on the move. She's quite the funny little girl. 

5 Things I Wish I Made More Time For

Blogging - I wish I put more effort into blogging. Not as much for the numbers, but more because I'm missing out on documenting some great memories.

Reading - It usually takes me more than a month to read a book. Insert my new Kobo Touch, and I think I'll start reading more. Or maybe I never mentioned it... By the way, I bought myself a Kobo Touch for my birthday and I love it.

Scrapbooking - I love the way they look when they're completed, but it's such an expensive and time consuming hobby. It's especially hard for me at times because I'm such a perfectionist, but I really do want to put more effort into it. I did on page since Chloe was born. Just one.

Playing - I want to get out more with my daughter. Teach her new things and bring her to new places. I want to be less lazy so she (and I) can have more fun.

Relaxing - Anytime I relax, I'm almost never actually feeling relaxed. I always feel like I should be doing something. I suppose that's because everytime I relax I end up falling asleep. But I need to try harder to just relax.

What are some things you wish you made more time for?

I got this idea from Moments That Define Life, but didn't have the time to write about it until now. Go figure. But I thought it was a great prompt.

Packing up to make some new memories

This Saturday I packed the first box. 

Yep, I'm moving yet again. 

It seems I don't stay anywhere for too long. It never seems to be more than a year in one spot. 

We need to move though, for so many reasons. This place is too small, the wiring is too messed up, the people upstairs are way too loud, and in the spring/summer seasons it gets way too humid and moldy in here. 

We may have found the perfect place: a bedroom for each of the girls, a playroom in the basement, a fenced-in backyard and a deck. And lots of room. 

But wow the memories in this place. 

My baby grew up in this place. This is where she first started to crawl, first started to talk, and took her first steps. We've lived here since she was two months old. Oh the changes since we got to this place. 

It's where we had our first Christmas and Easter. It's where we had her first birthday. 

It's where I first met boyfriend. Where he first slept over. Where he first told me he loved me. The first place we lived in together. The place where we celebrated our first birthdays together. So many firsts. 

But I am so excited for this new chapter in our lives.

So needless to say, I was a little bit excited about packing this first box.

Now, for the important question.

If you had a big empty room in the basement (carpeted), would you use it as a playroom to keep toys out of the actual sitting room and messy fingers off the nice furniture? Or would you use it as the adult room and put all the videos games and craft area down there?

The cutest cheetah that you ever did see

Another Halloween has come and gone. Once again, it was a quiet one.

My little cheetah is a little too young, and it was a little too wet for trick or treating but I can't wait until we finally can do it. I couldn't pass up a chance at dressing her up and taking photo though.

She had two costumes - one that my mother got her, and a princess dress that I got her last year on clearance. She was a pretty good model for her cheetah outfit, but when I put the princess dress on after bathtime, she was not impressed.

Since her 13 month mark passed on October 25th, I'm going to do a quick, shorter update on her. I was going to stop at a year, but I'd rather keep track of the little things while they're still there to keep track of.

Size: 17.5lbs at her appointment on October 11th. Girlfriend is way too tiny. Still in size 3 diapers.

Eating: A lot of finger foods. Absolutely hates being spoon fed most of the time, so I've given up. She loves baby cereral bars, canned peas and carrots, bread, and sometimes spaghetti.

Sleep: She was sleeping so good for so long - 7pm, until I'd wake her up in the morning around 7am. Lately she's been waking up sometimes through the night, and getting up way to early around 6.

Daycare: We are one month in. She usually cries when I drop her off, but she's finally outgrowing that. When I dropped her off today, one of the workers said hi to her and she made one of her excited noises. I set her down to hang up her coat and she started crawling away. She's still happy when I pick her up though.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the daycare. They don't give me much information when I pick her up, which I don't like. It's hard for me to remember to ask all the questions I need to ask. But they're nice so we're not going anywhere for now.



Classic strange Chloe face



Bad things: She was sick for the first time at the beginning of October. I think it was due to coughing too much until it upset her belly. She was fine immediately afterwards. She's finally not sick at all anymore, but her teeth are messing he up, and have been for a month.

The day of her birthday party (September 23) she started with a teething fever and has been having them a lot ever since. Now, she's started to have teething effect her diaper region, both with a horrible rash and with her #2s. It's a huge tooth coming in on the top right side of her mouth.

Clothing: Her only fitting jeans are Old Navy's 12-18 months. I love them. She has so many pairs of jeans and skinny jeans. I just can't wait until she can walk so she stops wearing out the knees of the pants. Speaking of walking....

Walking: She took one step a bunch of times on October 14th. On Halloween night, she took 3 steps to pick up her bottle. I was so excited.

And that's my 13 month old girl. As usual, growing up too fast.

My happy camper

Such a joy

Anyone remember this little face from last year? Oh how she's grown up in a year.