Chick-fil-A makes my {Tues}day

I recently discovered that the Chick-fil-A near my house does free breakfast on Tuesdays from 6am-9am.  They've been doing it for the last 4 months and the girl at the window told me that they would probably continue to do it for a while because the manager was pleased with the outcome they were having.  You don't get a choice of what entree you choose, they just have a select FREE entree for the day.  Last week I got a Spicy Chicken Biscuit and today I got a yogurt parfait.  I'm sure they want you to purchase a drink or get a side, but I'm cheap and I just get a water! 

So FREE breakfast at Chick-fil-A for me every Tuesday (or atleast until they quit doing it)!!

Talk about makin' my day!!

I LOVE Chick-fil-A!!

boy or girl? {& a giveaway}

This giveaway is now closed.

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As you probably know, I am SUPER excited to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl at our next sono on January 27th. I don't really have any predictions or preferences.  I have no idea how I would know what I'm having because all the things like heart rates, being sick or not, and Chinese gender charts are all "old wives tales".  I have no preferences, because I feel like it doesn't really matter what you have for your first baby.  A healthy baby is all we are praying for. Boy or girl, it doesn't matter to me.  I'm just excited to finally know!!  

I came across a fun little opportunity to "find out" what we are having a little early.  I say "find out" because this fun little opportunity is only 80% accurate.  

My longtime friend/college roommate/maid of honor, Brittany, works for a company called Splash Media.  They do social media marketing.  One of Brittany's new clients happens to be Intelligender.

{IntelliGender's Gender Prediction Test is the fun pre-birth experience moms are talking about! You can discover whether you’re having a boy or girl as early as 10 weeks pregnant along. It is a urine-based test that is easy to perform in the privacy of your home, with results ready in minutes!  IntelliGender's Gender Prediction Test bridges the curiosity gap between conception and sonogram.}

Brittany immediately thought of me whenever she took on this new client, so look who I got a little package from in the mail today!!

 As you can see they sent me not just one but TWO Gender Prediction Tests.

I'll be using mine sometime this week and I'll be giving the other one to one of you {or someone you know}!!

Here's how you can enter to win......

{You have 3 chances to win. So make sure you leave 3 separate comments!} 

1.  Follow my blog, and leave me comment telling me that you do! 
{You have to be an "official follower" through Google Friend Connect.  All you have to do is click Follow on the left hand side of my blog and log in! You will not be eligible to win if I don't see you as one of my followers.}

2.  Leave a comment guessing whether you think we are having a boy or a girl!

3.  Tell me who you know that would love to have a Gender Prediction Test! 

{If you are not pregnant and don't know anyone that is pregnant, you can totally say that you are going to take it for yourself to use in the future.  It doesn't expire until 12-2012!}

I'll be announcing the results to our test and the winner of the giveaway on
Friday, January 21st!!

Good luck!!

18 weeks

how far along?  18 weeks

how are you measuring?  18 weeks

size of baby? about an 5 1/2 inches, the size of bell pepper, and 7 ounces

heartbeat? 155 bpm (at our 17 week appointment)
total weight gain/loss? +3.6 pounds Ahhh....I gained 2 pounds this weeks.  That can't be right.  I've really been watching what I'm eating, but I guess not good enough.  And when I say "I'm watching what I'm eating", I'm not dieting.  I just trying to only eat 150 extra calories like they say you are supposed to in your 2nd trimester.   I hope to gain no more than 25 pounds during this pregnancy, so I guess I better slow down. On a fun note, I really feel like a "popped out" this week, and it doesn't feel like fat, it feels like a hard pregnant belly.  So maybe that's where the 2 pounds came from.  That's what I'm going to tell myself atleast!!
maternity clothes? I am LOVING my Bella band this week.  It won't be to much longer until I bust out the maternity pants.  I can't stand anything tight around my waist.   
stretch marks? No
sleep? Still having to wake up 2-3 times a night to go to the bathroom.  I have also been waking up before my alarm goes off and I can't go back to sleep because I can't stop thinking about whether we are having a boy or a girl.  I got so many pink ideas and blue ideas running through my head, I just need to know which one it is.
best moment this week? We got another good report at the doctor and we bought a crib and a dresser for our sweet babe!!

movement? There have definitely been times when I have thought that I felt the baby move, but I'm just not quite sure.  My doctor told me that I should start feeling movement by 20 weeks. 

food cravings? Crackers/Wheat Thins and Alouette Savory Vegetable Spread has been my favorite snack/lunch lately.  I loved this snack before I was pregnant, so I wouldn't really call it a craving, but it tastes so yummy to me right now!

gender predictions? 10 days until we find out!! I can't wait!!! I don't really have any predictions, but I'm going to do a post this week seeing what you think I'm having!!

what i miss: I miss my clothes fitting.  I'm in that in between stage where my clothes aren't fitting, but maternity clothes are a little too big.  
what i'm looking forward to: I am so excited to find out the sex of our baby. I seriously can't stop thinking about it.  I don't know how people wait until the birth to find out.
how are you feeling? I've been having lots of "cramps" in my side this week.  I learned at the doctor that it is "round ligament pain" and is very normal.  The ligaments that surround my uterus are just stretching as my uterus grows.  Unfortunately, I get these pains when I go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, when I roll around at night and when I sneeze.  I don't get them all the time, but it's been pretty frequent lately.  

meal planning monday

Monday: Swiss Stuffing Chicken, Veggies & Rolls

Tuesday: Talapia with Shrimp Bayou Sauce, Rice, and Broccoli 

Wednesday: Katy: Dinner w/ Brittany Matt: On his own

Thursday: Free Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pitas

Friday: New Recipe???

Saturday Breakfast: Cereal

Saturday Lunch: Sandwiches & Chips

Saturday Dinner: Wedding

Sunday Lunch: ??????

Sunday Dinner: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, & French Bread

easy cheesy corn casserole

A few weeks Matt and I made a trip to Houston for the Texas Bowl.  Thankfully I didn't have to go! Matt only got one ticket to the game, so I hung out with my best friend from college, Erin, all day.  For dinner Erin made the best corn casserole.  It was such as easy recipe, I just knew it was going to be a staple in our house!!  I love it because it goes great with anything.  Erin served it as a side dish to pork tenderloin.  I made it tonight with tacos.  

Here's what you'll need to make it......

 Box of plain Rice-A-Roni

Can of Corn (drained)

Half of a container of Cheez Whiz

Jalapenos (as much as you want for spiciness)

Cook the Rice-A-Roni according to the package.  When the rice is finished, transfer to a mixing bowl, and mix the remaining ingredients until cheese is all melted and mixed throughout.  I used a spoonful and a half of the jalapenos. Transfer to an 8x8 glass pan.  

 Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot.

Enjoy!!

floating cherry cobbler

My Mom and Grandma have been making this easy cobbler recipe for years.  Last night I needed a quick and easy dessert recipe to take to a dinner party.  I knew right away that this was the recipe I was going to finally try.  I only had to buy one ingredient for this recipe.  If that doesn't say easy, I don't know what does!!

You will need....

1 stick of butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 can of fruit (any kind)

1/2-3/4 cup sugar (opt.)

1 tsp. vanilla

Cinnamon

Be sure to buy these kind of cherries, and not cherry pie filling like I did!!

The only ingredient I had to buy, and I bought the wrong thing! Can I blame that on pregnancy brain?? Fortunately, my grandma had an extra can of cherries that I could borrow!!

Melt margarine in a pan large enough for the cobbler.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, milk and vanilla.  Pour the batter over the melted margarine.

Pour the can of fruit (do not drain) over the batter and sprinkle with sugar (optional).

Bake 30-40 minutes (or until the crust is golden brown) at 350 and the crust will magically float to the top.  

The six of us at our dinner party ate every last bite of the cobbler.  

This dessert is so good and super easy to make!!

Enjoy!!

17 weeks

how far along?  17 weeks

how are you measuring?  17 weeks

size of baby? about an 5 inches, the size of turnip, and 5 ounces

heartbeat? 160 bpm (at our 13 week appointment)
total weight gain/loss? +1.6 pounds
maternity clothes? I busted out the Bella Band this week.  My pants were fitting fine in the morning, but at the end of the day they were really starting to squeeze me.  I'm so much more comfortable if I unbutton the top button of my pants and wear my Bella Band.   
stretch marks? No
sleep? Still having to wake up 2-3 times a night.  It would probably help if I wouldn't guzzle half of a water bottle before I go to bed, but I'm so thirsty for ice cold water. 
best moment this week? We went to a wedding this past weekend and saw lots of our old friends from the Singles Class Matt and I met in.  It was so fun to see them.  They were all so excited to congratulate us on our baby!!

movement? Patiently waiting. Surely it will happen soon? 

food cravings? Ice cold water is what I'm so thirsty for these days.  I can't get enough.

gender predictions? 17 days until we find out!! I can't wait!!!

what i miss: I really can't think of anything right now.
what i'm looking forward to: I have a doctor's appointment this week.  I can't wait to hear our sweet babe's heartbeat again.  And as always, I just love to hear the doctor say everything is looking good!
how are you feeling? I was really starting to feel like I was getting my energy back, but since I started back school this week I was pretty worn out by Friday.  Friday night I fell asleep on the couch at 7:45, woke up at 10:30 then went to bed.  i'm really hoping for that 2nd trimester burst of energy to hit!!

meal planning monday

Monday: $1 Barbeque Sandwiches at Dickey's, Mac N Cheese, & Chips

Tuesday: Dinner @ The Havard's

Wednesday: Roast & Carrots, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Thursday: Tacos, Rice & Beans

Friday: Pizza

Saturday Breakfast: Oatmeal

Saturday Lunch: Spicy Texas Ranch Filled Biscuits

Saturday Dinner: ??????

Sunday Lunch: Taco Soup

Sunday Dinner: Lasagna, Green Beans & Garlic Toast

huggies vs. pampers

Calling all Mommies.....

I'm starting my stockpile on diapers, but I'm not sure which brand to buy.

Which brand of diapers do you prefer??

OR

I've heard Pampers are better for girls and Huggies are better for boy.  Is that true?

I've also heard you can get better deals on Huggies.  Is that true?

What kind of diapers do you prefer and why??

I would love to hear your opinion.  

16 weeks

**Do you see my itty bitty bump this week?

how far along?  16 weeks

how are you measuring?  16 weeks

size of baby? about an 4 1/2 inches, the size of an avocado, and 3 1/2 ounces

heartbeat? 160 bpm (at our 13 week appointment)
total weight gain/loss? +.6 pounds
maternity clothes? Not yet.  My clothes still fit fine, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to bust out the Bella Band soon.  I can feel/see that my lower mid-section is starting to pop out.  
stretch marks? No
sleep? Sleeping fine.  I'm on a "pee schedule" of about midnight and 4am, which is suspiciously what a night time nursing schedule could be.  Hmmmmm....I wonder if the Lord is preparing me for something!!
best moment this week? I got a TON of baby stuff from Matt's sister.  She gave me a swing, a bouncer, an exersaucer, a bathtub, some riding toys, a travel system (infant carrier, car hook-up, & stroller that converts into a toddler stroller), a boppy, a activity playmate, some clothes and a few other things!!!

movement? Patiently waiting.  I wait to feel the baby move!!

food cravings? I made a turkey and cheese panini for me and Matt for dinner one night this week.  It was the first time for me to have lunchmeat since I've been pregnant. (Remember it's okay to eat lunchmeat warmed up).  I just don't really care for warmed up lunchmeat and this just made me crave my Sierra Turkey Sandwich from Panera Bread even more.  I wonder if there is a Panera Bread near the hospital, because I'm pretty sure I want that to be my first meal  after the baby is born!!

gender predictions? 24 days until we find out!! I can't wait!!!

what i miss: I really can't think of anything right now.
what i'm looking forward to: I am so ready to know what we are having so I can get the ball rolling, on names, nursery themes, and registering!!
how are you feeling? I was sick with sinus congestion all last week, but I'm finally feeling better.  I really can't complain about anything.

meal planning monday

Monday: Meatball Subs & Chips

Tuesday: Taco Salad

Wednesday: Cranberry Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Veggies, & Rolls

Thursday: Chicken Enchilada Pasta & Cornbread Casserole

Friday: Chili's or Olive Garden Giftcard

Saturday Breakfast: Sausage Balls

Saturday Lunch: Frito Pie

Saturday Dinner: Ben & Lauren's Wedding

Sunday Lunch: Grilled Cheese Panini & Chicken Noodle Soup

Sunday Dinner: Pizza Planning Meeting w/ our ABF

diaper deals

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've kind of taken a break from couponing.  I would take a few coupons to the store when I grocery shopped, but I definitely didn't do any "deal shopping".  The great thing about couponing is that I only had to buy food while I took my little break.  I never ran out of toilet paper, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, toothpaste and any other personal items.  I'm so stocked up on all that stuff that I didn't have to buy any of that on my 3 month couponing hiatus.  

Today I spent a little time printing some coupons (on my new wireless printer!!) and planned out a shopping trip to CVS and Walgreen's.  I would say it was pretty successful considering I got 2 packages of Huggies diapers for only $2.31.

Here's how I did it.......

CVS Trip

1st Transaction

**Buy any 2 Revlon Beauty Tools get 7EB back

Revlon Nail Clippers-$3.19

Used $1 coupon

Revlon Nail Files-$3.19

 Used $1 coupon

-1.50 EB

Total: $3.12

Got back 7EB

2nd Transaction

*Buy $10 of Listerine, Reach or Rembrandt Products get 5EB back

(I did this deal two times)

Rembrant Toothpaste-$7

Used $3 coupon

Rembrant Toothpaste-$7

Used $3 coupon

Reach 2-pack toothbrushes-$3

Used $1 coupon

Reach 2-pack toothbrushes-$3

Used B1G1 Free coupon (-$3)

Used 7 EB from previous transaction

Total: $3.09

Got back 10 EB

3rd Transaction

*Buy Huggies Diapers Get 1EB

*Buy 3 Extra Gum Packs Get 1EB

3 Extra Gum Packs-$2

-Used B1G1 Free coupon (-$.67)

4 Palmolive Dish Soap- $.88

-Used 4 $.25 coupons (-$1)

Huggies Diaper 36 ct.-$8.99

-$2.50 coupon

-10 EB from previous transaction

Total: $.37

Got 2 EB to spend next week!!

Walgreens Trip

1st Transaction

*Buy Nivea Shave Gel Get 3RR

Nivea Shave Gel-$3.99

Used $1 coupon

(the lady behind the make-up counter had a stack of coupons for this item!)

Total: $3.24

Got back 3 RR

2nd Transaction

Huggies Diapers- 36 ct-$6.99

Used $2.50 coupon

Candy-$.33

I had to buy this "filler item" to use my 3RR.

Total: $1.94

Total Spent on Everything: $11.76

The two pack of diapers alone at full price would have cost $24!!  Yay couponing!! 

It felt so good to get back in the groove of couponing and still know how to get good deals.  I hope I can find lots of good deals on diapers this year so I can stock up before our sweet babe even gets here!!

2011 Resolutions

Well, it's officially 2011, which means it's time to make my New Years Resolutions.  Yes, I'm one of those people that makes New Years Resolutions.  None of them are ever that big of a deal, but I like to type out my "intentions" for the year.  

Here were my resolutions from last year.

Let's see how I did......

1.  I want to back up all my pictures, music and documents to an external hard drive and also back them up some where else. Did it!!  If anything every happens to my computer, I can rest assured that NONE of my stuff will be lost.  I've got it all on an external hard drive that I back up every few months.
2. I want to find new ways to work out, since we canceled our gym membership this year. I started doing Exercise TV through Verizon Fios, running with Matt, and doing 30 Day Shred until I found out I was pregnant!!  I have to start working out again though.
3. I want to read my 365 day devotional daily.  Sadly I didn't finish this book, I'm going to do my best to read it all this year.
4. I want to write in our Blessings Book daily. Matt and I did so good until about March.  Our book got buried under some other books and we forgot to do it.  I'd like to do it again this year. 
5. I want to have people over for dinner more often. We had dinner guest a few times, I had my family over a few times, and even hosted a few parties.  
6. I want to comment more on other people's blogs. I love getting comments, but I'm so lazy and never comment on anyone else's blog. I did so good at this at the beginning of the year.  I tried to leave a comment on every post I read.  It was amazing how many comments I got on my blog in return.  Unfortunately, I got lazy and quit leaving comments, and guess what....I got less comments on my blog.  So I'm going to do my best to give comments this year, because I love getting comments!!
7. I want to continue learning more about digital scrapbooking & photography.  I learned alot last year and I hope to learn even more this year. 
8. I want to finish some decorating projects so my house can be completely decorated. I did alot of little decorating projects this year, some of which I just finished last week.  I think it's safe to say our house is completely decorated, except for the baby's room of course!!
9. I want to learn how to sew. Didn't happen this.  And I don't think it ever will.  My Mom is just so good at sewing that I can't find a reason to learn when my Mom can do it all way better than I ever could.  
10. I want to have my Christmas shopping and Christmas cards done before Thanksgiving. I had most of my shopping done before Christmas.  We had to pick up a few things after Thanksgiving because I became quite lazy after I found out I was pregnant.  I definitely didn't have my Christmas cards done before Thanksgiving this year.  I actually had them made because I didn't even feel like doing them this year!!
11. I want to make new stockings. This didn't happen this year, but it will next year because we are going to need a third stocking next Christmas.
12. I want to keep my house, my classroom, and my computer more organized. I think I did a pretty good job at this.  My classroom and computer are probably a little bit more organized that my house, but I think I keep a pretty clean house.  Okay, maybe it's not always clean, but it is straightened!!
13. I want to simplify my life and enjoy every moment of 2010. I enjoyed every bit of 2010!!

It's kind of weird making resolutions this year, because I have no idea what my life is going to look like in six months.  I hear "A baby changes everything!"

Here are my resolutions for 2011....

1.  I want to read my 365 day devotional book and be more intentional about my time with the Lord.  

2.  Complete Project 365 by taking one picture a day.

3.  Comment more on other people's blogs.

4.  Try one new recipe a week.  (atleast until the baby comes)

5.  Quit picking my finger nails.  (I've quit picking 8 of them, since my pre-natal vitamins make them grow like crazy, but for some reason I still pick on both of my middle fingers! Funny huh?)

6.  Continue to coupon and bring my grocery budget down even more. 

7.  Work out 2-3 times a week throughout my pregnancy and hopefully even more after the baby.

8.  Floss my teeth.

9.  Write in our Blessing Book.

10.  Enjoy every moment of my pregnancy and cherish every moment with our sweet babe. 

project 365

This year, I've decided to do Project 365.  I'm going to take a picture each day this year.  After the baby is born, I'll definitely have someone/something to take a picture of, I'm just going to have to be creative for the beginning of this year!!

If you are interested in looking at my pictures, you can click on this little logo on the sidebar of my blog.

It will take you to my ShutterCal page!!

1.1.11

Happy New Year to you all!!

We always eat lunch at my parent's or Grandma's house on New Years Day.  This year we ate at my  parent's house. We had meatloaf, cornbread, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and black eyed peas.   

I ate my black eyed peas for good luck this year.

Did you eat your black eyed peas??

january desktop

2010: a year to remember

This year has definitely been a great year for us! We are so thankful for the Lord's provision in our lives. We are so thankful for all he has done in our life this year.

Here are some of our favorite moments from 2010.

Matt started a new job at Children's.

 We had a recording breaking snow storm in Dallas.

 Izzie loved the snow!!

 We went on a cruise to Cozumel with 8 of our friends.

 We spent lots of time at the lake with my family.

 We took a vacation to Hot Springs with my family.

 I started my 4th year of teaching.

We went to a Ranger's playoff game.  

Matt says this year was the greatest sports year ever. 

Our nephew Ethan celebrated his 1st birthday.

 We celebrated our 2nd anniversary.

We spent lots of time with our ABF all year and got 3rd place at our annual Fall Festival.

 We found out that we are having a baby!

 I got to see my college roomies and meet Miss Kinsley.

 We had our last family of 2 pictures made.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Matt's family.

 We got to "see" and "hear" our baby for the first time.

And we had a very Merry Christmas!!

We know 2011 is going to be a great year because we get to meet our sweet babe in June!!  We can't wait to see what else the Lord has in store for our family.

We hope this new year brings you lots of joy!!