what i'm loving wednesday

So excited to link up with the lovely Jamie @ this kind of love.  Check out her link-up.  It makes this "middle of the week" day even a bit more worth celebrating.  [The other term for Wednesday makes me cringe.  Do any of y'all feel the same way?  Or do I just need to get my mind out of the gutter?]

one.

I'm loving how my hubby looks with his new guitar.  It was a birthday/graduation gift from me.  I can't wait for him to take lessons. He's super excited.

two.

 

I'm loving these three finds from my election day shopping trip with my mom and grandma.  We shopped all the "best deal" places...TJ Maxx, Home Goods, Marshalls.  This great basket was only $14.99...it's housing shoes in our foyer.  The adorable pillow was something I could not put down.  It was on clearance for $6.50 and is now snuggled in the chair in the corner of our living room.  (Seriously, this pillow just may be something I design a little boy's rugged nursery around one day.)  And this awesome "Happy Birthday" plate was used for the first time for hubby's bday celebration this past weekend.  It's a new tradition in our bungalow...bday person gets to eat their dessert on the special plate!

three.

I'm loving that since my prof was "throwing up" (his terms exactly in his email) and canceled class Monday night, I had one extra afternoon to spend on a walk with this cute guy.  He loves going for a walk with his momma.

four.

I'm loving this recipe my friend Kendra shared with me for Oreo Ice Cream cake.  Move over Dairy Queen...this stuff is fabulous!

Ingredients:

-a half gallon of vanilla ice cream (I use one and a half 1.5 quart containers)

-2/3 container of Oreos

-1 container of cool whip (I use light)

To make:

-Let ice cream and cool whip sit out until soft

-Crush Oreos in large bowl (I prefer my potato masher)

-Slowly add in ice cream and cool whip, gradually mixing it in

-Fill a 9x13" pan with the ice cream mix

-Let freeze

I used the extra Oreos to decorate the top of Justin's cake.  It was a big hit! (And the best part is there was extra left over in our freezer.)

five.

Today was an early release day at school, meaning a couple hours without kiddos.  I love my kiddos but after conferences taking place over the last couple weeks, a break is nice.

 

six.

We rearranged our living room furniture! Love it!

Happy Wednesday to you!

just for you

via

1.  Yesterday. 
Yep, a hug for you.  You sweet blog readers you.  No, for real.  Thank you for your amazing and kind comments on my post from yesterday.  Your encouragement and prayers are beyond thoughtful.  Thank you for sharing your heart and lending a sweet word to me through commenting.  Your words have been Jesus to me.  Thanks for sharing what God prompted you to.  My prayer is that I can be a similar word of encouragement to you through commenting some words of encouragement.

via

2.  Free food.
Seems like you ladies like your free meals.  Um, who doesn't, right?! Many of you want to know just how you get on this "free dining plan" thing at Disney World.  Three big details...you have to go to Disney when they are offering it, you have to buy at least a two day base ticket to Disney (meaning it can just be for one park, and it doesn't have to be park hopper ticket), and you have to stay at one of Disney's resorts for three consecutive nights.  (It can even be their least expensive, but still super-nice, value resorts.)

We did what was called the "Deluxe Dining Plan" since we stayed in a moderate resort (Port Orleans Riverside).  For each day we were there, we each received one counter-service meal (think ordering at a counter...no waiters...still great food) that includes an entree, drink and dessert, one sit-down meal (think waiters/waitresses) that included an entree, drink, and dessert, and one snack (popcorn, drink, ice cream, etc.)  This was more than enough food! Some places offer an all-you can eat dinner too.  Amazing! You do have to watch because sometimes dinner shows and character dining meals take two of your meals.  Also, if you stay at a value resort, you may have to pay a little to upgrade your dining plan to be deluxe to include sit-down meals.

All together this saved us close to $600:
-$25 (because we wouldn't buy dessert w/o the dining plan) for each lunch
-Between $80 and $100 for each dinner
-at least $10 a day for snacks (I'm sure we would snack even if we didn't have the plan)

Right now they are offering the dining plan through September 2011, but at select times.  The way I got the code to use to get our free dining plan that our travel agent (aka my sister-in-law) used when she booked our trip, was to sign up on Disney's website to get their special email offers.  I would highly recommend using a travel agent to help you book your stay to get all the best deals and details.  Off to Neverland Travel is a great option for assistance in booking your trip.  (If you're in my area and know me outside of blog-land, let me know and I can get you in contact with my favorite travel agent, my sis-in-law, to help you out!) Finally, if you do get the Deluxe meal plan, make reservations at the restaurants way ahead of time! And for much more information, check out MouseSavers.com.

Okay, I think that covers it.  Email me or leave a comment if you have further questions!

So there you have it.  Two treats just for you!

i know what I'm doing...

The other day when I got home, I called my hubby to see when he would be home.  That conversation went something like this:

Me:  "Hey babe, how was your day?"

J:  "It was great, how was your day?" 

Me:  (Half serious in all my naivety, half joking.) "Great, you know I have been thinking today.  I think I have our future planned out and taken care of." 

[Enter moment of silence and a bit of nervous laughter from Justin because he knows my goals and ideas are always a little lofty....and that my type A personality sometimes a lot of times, gets the best of me.]

J:  "Okay...." 

Me:  "Okay do you want me to tell you about them?" [He's not giving me anything at this point.  Obviously, he's thinking I'm crazy at this point and he's ready to give me a shpeel to remind me to be grounded.  He's pretty good like that.] 

I kept on going with the conversation and told him all about my (yes, my) big plans about our future. I won't give you all the juicy details as I'm really not into sharing all my inner secrets and thoughts in technology world.  I trust you all...just not all the kookies. ;)

After I shared all of my plans, hubby gave his insight.   He explained that my ideas were great but that obviously, since those were the plans I had created and thought I would make happen, that they wouldn't happen and that God was basically rolling His eyes at me.  I explained that yes I knew what he was saying, and yes I know it's silly to tell my husband my plans for our future when God is in charge, not me.  Yes, I  know all these things.  I know. However, in a way, it just feels good saying what I want to happen.  Stating what I'm going to do.  Making a plan.  Sometimes I hope I'm right.  Sometimes, I plan my plans almost hoping that I'm wrong and that God laughs at me.  Because I want God to move me and shake me.  I want Him to slap His own plans on me.  I want to hear him say, "Cait, get a grip.  Here's what's going to happen."  Honestly, all truth on the table, I'm a bit confused by my lack of prayers answered lately.  I'm frustrated and in a brutally honest point in my life with God.  I know He's there, I know He's working, but I finally took it upon myself to "get it all figured out".  Right.  

Thankfully, I have been reminded in numerous ways lately, that in this moment where I feel like God has hit the "pause" button, he's really still on "play".  Maybe He's not showing me things right now for a reason.  Maybe it's because He's busy orchestrating the details around me, as the amazing Amy, wrote about here the other day.  Maybe He's letting me learn a lesson right now.  A lesson that I'll only understand down the road and once I get over my stubbornness.

And for now, I'm at peace with that.  Finally.

I like the NIV version of one of my favorite verses (Jeremiah 29:11)...

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

But this one seems even more directly stated for my current soul battle...

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 

(emphasis added)

 

When do you think God has laughed at your plans? Where have you seen God fulfill prayers when you felt like He hit the pause button on your life? What verses help lift you up in times of weariness?

Giveaway Number Two!

In case you missed the last giveaway post, let me get you up to date.  My lovely blog friend, Ashleigh from Thankfully Thrifty, is expecting her first baby! And I'm super excited to help host a wonderful baby shower (yes, in blog world) for this fabulous mommy-to-be.  To help celebrate the birth of her firstborn, she's giving away some fabulous prizes from some great sponsors to you wonderful readers.  If you are from Ashleigh's blog, welcome back! If you haven't stopped by to see her first, you can go here for more details about this fabulous giveaway and others going on the next two weeks!

I'm excited to host another part of the baby shower for you to get a chance to win a pack of Boogie Wipes (yes, I said "boogie")!

image source

Boogie Wipes are the perfect solution to little one's snotty noses! The wonderful thing about these is that they come in a convenient pop-up container just as regular wipes do.  Also, these wipes contain saline, which helps keep kiddos' noses moist so that they don't get aggravated my being wiped multiple times. Even as a teacher, I see little ones going toward their sleeve to wipe their nose.  Yuck! What a perfect solution Boogie Wipes are! I'm thinking they maybe should go on next year's supply list for my classroom. :) Also, Boogie Wipes are currently running a special promotion featuring their friend Boogs!  You can receive him by visiting their website here, printing out the designated form, attaching 3 UPC's from Boogie Wipes and mailing it in!

And for even more fun, they are launching their Fall promotion called Save The Sleeve!  It’s an interactive way to help kiddos learn why they should "save their sleeve" from boogs! You can learn more at SaveTheSleeve.com or visit them on Facebook here! Okay, let's "snot" forget we're here to play! Ready? 


GIVEAWAY:

One pack of Boogie Wipes will be awarded to one randomly selected winner. 

HOW TO ENTER:
We're playing another game! The first mandatory entry is to play along with the baby shower game right here in the comment section!

*The Game : Shades of Green*

How it works...

In the comment section, let us know your favorite shade of green! Be as specific as possible! "Snot green" would be a very fitting choice here! :)

EXTRA ENTRIES:
You can earn one extra entry for each of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for each to be counted and make sure to leave your email address with at least one of your comments so that I can contact you if you win.  (That's 8 total entries if you enter into each one.)

1. Visit Boogie Wipes and join their Boogie Bunch here.  Leave a comment letting me know you joined!
2. Become a follower of Boogie Wipes on Twitter here
3. Become a follower of Thankfully Thrifty on Twitter here and tweet about the giveaway by including the following: @ThankfulThrifty @BoogieMom #giveaway
4. Become a follower of theblessedlife (or let me know you are already a follower)
5. Become a follower of Thankfully Thrifty (or let me know you are already a follower)
6. Grab my button for your site and/or add me to your BlogRoll on your blog
7. Grab Thankfully Thrifty's button for your site and/or add her to your BlogRoll on your blog

This giveaway will end on Saturday, November 20th at midnight (eastern time).  The winner will be randomly selected and posted on Sunday, November 21th. Have fun and good luck! Make sure to check back by Thankfully Thrifty to find out about other giveaways coming up over the next two weeks...including here at theblessedlife!

(And don't forget to enter the Mommy Hook giveaway here if you haven't already! It ends November 13th!)

Disney World--in just one post?!

As I mentioned a few posts back...Justin and I recently went to Disney World for my Fall Break (yes, one big perk of life as a teacher are those great breaks).  It is a trip we know we want to do with kiddos, but we also wanted to make sure to do pre-kids.  We flew out on a Saturday afternoon and was in Disney for 5 nights and four days.  We hit all four parks plus a lot of "extras" since it was my first time there since I was 5.  Well there really is no way to completely describe through words or pictures our Disney World trip.  It was fabulous.  Far more "magical" than I expected (yes, I'm a little cynical sometimes and wasn't quite sure I would find it that impressive as an adult).  I couldn't have been more wrong...and I'm so glad I was wrong.  I fell in love with Disney World.  Here is my attempt (in pictures and captions) to help you fall in love a bit (if you already haven't from your own experience), so you will go see Mickey and all your favorite Disney princesses from childhood for yourself.

We flew Southwest...free luggage?! Yes, please.  It's our airlines of choice.  They're so nice and they have great rates! I've heard to book on Wednesdays to get the best rates.

We spent the week searching for "hidden Mickeys"...yes there is even a book about these.  Find it here.  This was the first one we were greeted with on our hotel bed.

We stayed at Port Orleans Riverside.  So nice!

The first night we rode the boat from our resort to Downtown Disney.  Such a fun place!

Justin resorted back to age 7 at the Lego store. ;)  Hey, even I was in awe of the wall of Lego bins that went from floor to ceiling.  And maybe I was even a little tempted to fill a Lego bag to bring home.

HUGE TIP....try to go to Disney when you can get the free, yes...FREE dining plan! This is considered a "counter service" meal at Wolfgang Puck express.  We ate $30 meals for lunch each day (for free) and at awesome (sometimes all-you-can-eat) and reservations strongly recommended restaurants for dinner.  Dinners were sometimes near $100 worth of food...and we got it free.  Drink, desserts, and a snack a day for each of us were included.  Simply amazing.  And I may or may not have gained a pound or two.  Hence the spinach salad lunches when we came home.

We went to Magic Kingdom our first day...it's our favorite park out of the four.  The fireworks are a must! Tinkerbell zip-lines from the castle out over the crowd.  So cool!

We ate dinner at 'Ohana's the first night at the Polynesian Resort.  Amazing all-you-can-eat food (shrimp, chicken, steak and pork skewers, gobs of sides, salad, bread, and awesome dessert), amazing view of the firework show, and an amazing atmosphere...they have their own beach! Loved every minute.  It's on our personal list of must-dos at Disney!

Our second day included Animal Kingdom.  Loved the Safari ride and getting up close to the amazing animals.  Hint on this one....go first thing in the morning to ride this one.  The line gets pretty long!

Here we are in front of the "Tree of Life"...loved the Bug Life ride inside the tree.  My other favorite? Everest! Oh, and the Lion King show is a must-see.  Okay, so maybe the entire trip was "my favorite".

The second part of the day we enjoyed Hollywood Studios (used to be MGM).  Love this amazing hat in the night light!

That evening, thanks to our Park Hopper addition to our park tickets, we "hopped" to Epcot and ate dinner in Italy.  Well, maybe not the real Italy, but believe me....these building replicas only wet my appetite for a future trip to the real place!

Our third day was our "off day".  We didn't go into any parks but instead relaxed and enjoyed a day checking out the boardwalk, other resorts, and getting caught up on some much-needed sleep.

On the Boardwalk..enjoying another Diet Coke...thank you free dining plan! :) And Halloween cups...seriously, Disney World doesn't miss one chance of adding a special detail to your trip.

Waiting for the boat to Fort Wilderness for our fun dinner plans.

We went to a dinner show that evening....Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.  We laughed tons...ate tons...and had tons of fun.  Another must-do!

Our boat had to stop on the way back to let the light show take place on the water...oh darn! ;) What a gorgeous view...as fireworks in the Magic Kingdom were going off on our other side.

We spent our last day in Epcot.  We were there during the annual Food and Wine Festival, hence this fun picture backdrop.

We ate dinner in "Morocco".  I'm proud of my man for trying this out-there food with me.  We really enjoyed it.  And the belly dancer added a nice touch to the fun atmosphere!

We had to stop during the day to test Coke from around the world.  Um, let me just say, our Coke is yet another reason we're blessed here in the good USA. :) A country in Africa had my favorite above our's...it tasted like Ginger Ale.

Just like a little kid...I asked Justin if we could spend our last evening back at Magic Kingdom.  Thankfully my hubby is a kid himself...and was excited about the idea.  We caught the amazing Electrical Parade.

And we rode "it's a small world"...very nostalgic!

It was an amazing trip and I'm already ready to go back.  I guess we may hold off and take a bambino with us the next time. :) What a blessing of a trip to go on with my hubby.  Our time together was much-needed and wonderful!

Baby Shower Giveaway Time!

 ***This giveaway is now closed.***

My lovely blog friend, Ashleigh from Thankfully Thrifty, is expecting her first baby! And I'm super excited to help host a wonderful baby shower (yes, in blog world) for this fabulous mommy-to-be.  To help celebrate the birth of her firstborn, she's giving away some fabulous prizes from some great sponsors to you wonderful readers.  If you are from Ashleigh's blog, welcome! If you haven't stopped by to see her first, you can go here for more details about this fabulous giveaway and others going on the next two weeks!

I'm excited to host part of the baby shower for you to get a chance to win a Mommy Hook from Keen Distribution!

image source

Keen Distribution is the distributor of the Mommy Hook.  If you've heard of Keen before, it's because they are also the distributors of the Bumbo Baby Seat.  Amazing items, huh? Well even though I'm not a mommy yet, both of these amazing "inventions" are on my future must-have-for-baby list! The Mommy Hook looks like a large carabiner.  This fabulous item can hook onto a stroller and then help mommies (and daddies) hook together shopping bags, diaper bags, and any other kind of bag you may need.  Many strollers have storage compartments, but obviously, with baby in tow...that's not always enough room.  This great item can help you in the mall, the grocery store, or even in Disney World, like I saw on my recent trip.  I noticed a couple used two Mommy Hooks to allow their diaper bag to hook onto the handles of their double-wide stroller.  The hooks extended the diaper bag handles enough to where the bag fit right against the back of the stroller.  The possibilities are endless on how to use this great item! Even not-yet-mommies and moms with older children could find great ways to use this neat item, such as hooking numerous bags together to carry from the car to the house! So are you "hooked" yet? Ready to play?

GIVEAWAY:
One Mommy Hook will be awarded to one randomly selected winner.


HOW TO ENTER:
Well this is a baby shower.  So of course, there are games! The first mandatory entry is to play along with the baby shower game right here in the comment section!

*The Game : ABC's of Babies*

How it works...

Commenter number one starts with the letter "A". Come up with a word that begins with "A".  (It has to be something that a baby would DO or USE etc.)
Example : "A is for applesauce" (This works because babies eat applesauce.)
The next commenter would take the Letter "B"
and so on...


If you are the next commenter after Z, start again at A.  If for some reason you accidentally get out of order, no worries! Your entry will still count. :) It's all fun and games here!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
You can earn one extra entry for each of the following.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for each to be counted and make sure to leave your email address with at least one of your comments so that I can contact you if you win.  (That's 8 total entries if you enter into each one.)

1. Visit Keen Distribution and tell me another baby item you’d love to have or you know is a must-have (my time will come...I need all the advice I can take, too!)
2. Become a follower of Keen Distribution on Twitter here
3. Become a follower of Thankfully Thrifty on Twitter here and tweet about the giveaway by including the following: @ThankfulThrifty @KeenDisti #giveaway
4. Become a follower of theblessedlife (or let me know you are already a follower)
5. Become a follower of Thankfully Thrifty (or let me know you are already a follower)
6. Grab my button for your site and/or add me to your BlogRoll on your blog
7. Grab Thankfully Thrifty's button for your site and/or add her to your BlogRoll on your blog

This giveaway will end on Saturday, November 13th at midnight (eastern time).  The winner will be randomly selected and posted on Sunday, November 14th. Have fun and good luck! Make sure to check back by Thankfully Thrifty to find out about other giveaways coming up over the next two weeks...including here at theblessedlife!

happy birthday to my man

Birthdays always get me.  I mean think about it...it's the day in all of history that God decided to put His unique, one-of-a-kind creation, on this earth.  How amazing is that?! 

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be"

-Psalm 139: 13-16

25 years ago, God blessed a wonderful family with this amazing man I now call my husband.  Little did I know when I met him when I was 5, that when he turned 25, I'd be living this life with him and calling him "mine".

So here are just a few (although I could go on for quite some time) reasons why I celebrate my hubby. (Warning...some of these pics are old school and some are cropped.  Not the best photo quality...but many of them are just too candid and fun not to include!)

You can make the most out of any situation...hence, this photo taken in the Wal-Mart toy aisle sometime in our college years.

 

Yes, you are incredible.  Justincredible.

 

You're always up for going places and seeing new things.  You're even up for seeing some places just because they're on my own bucket list.

You always go out of your way to make me feel special.

(our wedding day)

 

 

You're handsome and I love being by your side.

 

You're so sweet to Boone.

You're not ashamed to proclaim the name of Jesus and your faith is such a testimony to others...including me.

 

Among gobs of other reasons why I celebrate you.... you're so darn hardworking and you make me laugh constantly.  You're patient, humble, considerate, and compassionate.  You act like a kid, you remind me to quit stressing, and you persevere like no one else I know.  Today, I'm thanking God for blessing my life with you.

 Happy Birthday, babe.  I love you.