amazingly wonderfully made you

another frugal find!

2010-05-02T23:35:00.000-04:00

so most of you know i've been excited lately about ways to save my family money! it really doesn't take much effort at all... instead of 10 minutes on facebook i spend that time visiting a few websites or blogs that have really landed me some great deals!

one of my newest finds is swagbucks.com. this site is super cool. its nothing more than a search engine (powered by google and ask.com) and everyone so often you "win" swagbucks!! these can then be redeemed for some cool items... the online shopping has almost everything!

signing up for an account is fast and easy! just click the banner below and i'll always keep a banner on the side for you to send your friends to! lemme know (comment below) if any of you have already had great experiences with swagbucks or if you do after this post!

have a great week!! :)

the truth about easter

2010-03-25T10:55:00.002-04:00

it has always bothered me that everyone seems to be about bunny rabbits and painted eggs around easter time. i won't get on that soapbox right now but these are all of pagan origin and i certainly do not plan to teach these things to my kids.

a dear friend of ours in tennessee is an amazing mom and is kind enough to post on her own blog how she teaches different things (always in a creative way!) to her two kids.

her most recent post is about a fun way to teach your kids about easter with over a week of daily activities and lessons. i encourage you to check out here blog by clicking {here}!! leave her a comment of encouragement and appreciation and let her know we sent you! :)

thanks christie!!!!

a poem for you ladies...

2010-03-08T11:30:00.002-05:00

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Maya Angelou

who doesn't like free ice cream???

2010-03-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

so i was super psyched to come across this one...

On March 23rd from Noon-8pm, participating Ben & Jerry's locations across the country will be giving a Free Cone!

It's the 32nd Annual Free Cone Day. Wowsers!
(Details here.)

Anyway, for you Knoxville area ladies, you will LOVE this website... the Sweat Deals site is great and always has current freebies and savings and events. Great resource to check often! You can also follow Kandy Deals on Twitter by clicking here.

If you are able to make it out for your free cone, we'd love to receive photos of you (and your kids) enjoying some ice cream!!! email them to us and we will be sure to post on the blog. :)

Enjoy! :)

the coupon queeny... literally

2010-03-03T12:00:00.007-05:00

in my touring of the internet today i found this amazing lady that has the science of coupon-ing mastered! i plan to utilize some of her website and coupon advice myself... especially since i feel it is a large responsibility of mine to help save money in our household.

so her name is Tanya, aka Coupon Queeny. and she's just that!... the queen of coupons!! she teaches multiple classes throughout the country so you can check her schedule on the site to see if and when she'll be near you.

those of you in NC can take advantage of seeing her in person at the Southern Women's Show in Raleigh April 23-25. (i'll be there too! i'll be photographing the Dancing Like the Stars fundraiser but also plan to take advantage of the event and Tanya's classes while i'm there!)

my favorite section on her website is the Store Deals page. you can basically pick the store you shop at most and see the coupons available!! so easy!

there are multiple ways to keep up with Coupon Queeny... here are a few links below:

     website
   blog
          facebook
      twitter

i hope you find this helpful!! i'd love to hear from you (leave a comment below or email me)... we're all wanting to hear how this works for each other... your success stories and such.

happy couponing!!! :)

try on your next do!

2010-02-12T15:00:00.002-05:00

how many of us have finally decided to go drastic with our hair and we get to the salon and chicken out!??

i know there have been multiple occasions when i've scaled back a bit on the style from what i initially planned. then i usually get home and wish i had gone drastic. haha. us gals and our hair!!

so this neat website {daily makeover} will allow you to upload a photo and try on your hairstyle before you take the plunge!

that was so cool i just had to share! :)

children consignment events

2010-02-09T09:00:00.006-05:00

so i first learned of these children consignment events watching an episode of the duggars (19 kids and counting). apparently there are events like these all over the country and can really save some moolah!!!

just to clear the air, no i'm not expecting, but i sure am preparing!!! :) shawn and i hope to start our family in a year or two so in the meantime i'm learning and researching and strategizing. okay moving on...

i'm sure i'm just scraping the surface when it comes to these events so i'm hoping you gals can contribute as well. below are upcoming event dates and websites for you to bookmark!

Duck Duck Goose
Knoxville, TN

March 11-15, 2010
Spring/Summer Event

open daily 10-8 (closed sunday)

in the former kmart next to west town mall

Jack and Jules
Knoxville, TN

March 11-13, 2010
Spring/Summer Sale

open daily 10-8

180 n. peters road (old goody's building)

Kids Exchange
Raleigh, NC

Jim Graham Building/NC State Fairgrounds

watch their site for the next date!

usually these events have special shopping times and incentives for those that volunteer or donate/sell items and for first time or expecting mommies! be sure to check their sites for details.

if you have one in your city (or some i don't know about) please post details to the comment section of this post!! together we can help each other out!

you are beautiful

2010-02-07T10:00:00.010-05:00

all dolled up - beauty tips

2010-02-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

so if you know me at all, you know i use one brand of skin care and cosmetics... Artistry. i started using the brand back in 2004. before that, i was solely a clinique girl.

while i didn't jump up and down the first time i used the products, i did like the way they felt on my face. i've never been one to load on the layers of makeup or like my face to feel heavy and overdone with product. initially that was the selling point for me.

but then about a year later i was looking thru old photographs and noticed the scarring (from acne) that was no longer on my face!! i totally credit that to using the Artistry skin care products daily.

and yes, now i am an Artistry representative! (to browse or purchase items you can visit here and use the password beauty)

okay so to my point of writing this post!... i came across a blog that is provided by a lady behind the scenes at Artistry, but the blog provides all kinds of neat tips and adventures. here is the link to the blog in case you'd like to bookmark that one as well.

their most recent post gives three amazing beauty tips.. enjoy!

find a recipe

2010-01-27T18:30:00.011-05:00

i randomly get emails from the nest. i was a huge "the knot" user when we were planning a wedding 5 years ago (wow!) and now i even advertise on the knot for my photography business (b real photo)!!!

anyway, this particular email was incredibly interesting in the variety of topics it covered so i thought i would share some of them over the next few posts...

the first thing to catch my attention was 30-minute chicken recipes. there is a whole selection to choose from, pages as a matter of fact! click here to see them. but it gets even cooler....

scroll down on the page to find the Find A Recipe search box... you can choose your main ingredient, cooking time, and type of meal! what an awesome search!! hope you enjoy!

and please comment and let me know if you use any of these recipes... i'm sure we'd all appreciate the feedback. feel free to email me a picture too! :)

happy cooking!

get your chocolate fix

2010-01-23T13:00:00.002-05:00

i've had a few folks ask for this recipe so i thought this would be a great one to share first! i usually make these treats every Christmas, but they are great for any occasion you need finger foods or just gotta get your chocolate fix.

reese peanut butter cookies

1/2 cup margarine (melted)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

mix together the above ingredients and stir in:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

make approximately 40 balls. bake in mini muffin pans 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. remove from oven. immediately press miniature peanut butter cups in each. dough will come up around edge. let cool before removing from pan.

tip: it's a race against the clock to get the wrappers off the peanut butter cups while the dough is in the oven. sometimes i unwrap before i bake!

i have to thank my aunt faye for the recipe!!! you rock!!! ;)

hey did you stick your finger in the electrical socket?!??

2010-01-13T13:00:00.017-05:00

some of the joys that come with winter are the hopes of beautiful snow, two hour school delays, snow cream, hot chocolate (with marshmallows, duh!), comfy soft sweaters, glamorous scarves, cuddling under a blanket....

but that one thing that can ruin a great day is STATIC!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrr.

ever pull on that awesome diva sweater with those jeans that make your bootie look absolutely delicious!?... your eye makeup went on perfectly that day... those earrings totally rock... and your new shoes make the outfit... then you do one last check in the mirror only to find your hair is standing straight up?!!?!

or you have the perfect outfit picked out for your kid... they have a birthday party to go to and you just know the other moms will be asking you where you got that amazing outfit for your kid... and then you overhear someone asking your little one, "did you stick your finger in the electrical socket?!"

i know right!? the static seems to show up at the most inopportune times! and then you see those ladies on tv commercials flip their hair and every single strand falls back in place... can we say jealous!?

so let's change that right now!!! i told you in my first post that your life was about to change... so let's start with the static! haha!

in my quest to find the best solution... i came across hundreds of suggestions... some a little out there!...

touch something metal, rub with an ice cube, hair spray, dryer sheets, body lotion, rub silk on your hair, water on your brush, smoothing milk, leave in conditioner, antistatic spray, static guard, Joico Kpak serum, lots of gel and mousse, olive oil, weekly conditioning mask, mashed avocados, use a milder shampoo, blah blah blah blah...

so i'm sharing my top 3 (easiest, inexpensive, lasting, and safest) suggestions, which have seemed to work for yours truly:

#3 It's in the brush. Literally. When you comb or brush your hair, use a wood or natural bristle brush and avoid any synthetic fibers. The wood and natural fibers do not hold a charge like the synthetics do!

#2 This just may be the easiest one of all three. First, be sure to use conditioner during the cold months. But furthermore, don't quite rinse it all out! Stop rinsing your hair just a tiny bit shy of getting all the conditioner out! Oh yes.

#1 We see static mostly in wintertime because of dry air. Put a humidifier in your home. This will help balance the moisture level in the air thus, reducing the static in your hair and clothes. Why is this number one on my list? Because a humidifier does sooooo many other things for you as well... relieves the physical discomforts of dry nose, throat, lips, and skin... alleviates common nuisances brought on by winter heating, such as peeling wallpaper, cracks in paint and furniture, wood floors warping... need I go on!?

**if you have an emergency situation and need to temporarily get rid of the static immediately, spray water or hairspray on your hair. remember this is just a temporary fix!

I hope this article helps you feel wonderful!! :)

suzanne

show her she is wonderful - jeanna

2010-01-10T13:00:00.004-05:00

one thing i'd like to do with this blog is give us an opportunity to help each other with things we may be struggling with, in specific situations, whether that be emotional, physical, financial... so this is the first of a post series i'm calling show her she is wonderful...

a dear sorority sister of mine is going thru probably the most difficult trial of her life as i type this...

jeanna is a beautiful, energetic, upbeat lady. i've hardly ever seen her without a smile on her face! while i have not personally met her husband chris, they seem to be perfectly paired!

they were expecting twins and were documenting the journey thru a blog that has quite the following! chris & jeanna excitedly went in for an ultrasound on thursday. no one could possibly be prepared for the news they received that day.

i'm sure one of the things an expecting mother looks forward to on those ultrasound visits is hearing her baby's heartbeats, but on thursday chris & jeanna were devastated that none could be found. jeanna was admitted into the hospital on friday and in the early hours of saturday morning delivered her identical twin boys.

i can only imagine what this couple is going thru. i have spent a lot of time praying and crying for them as my heart just breaks for chris & jeanna. i've not experienced anything close to this myself, but i know many of you have so you understand what they are going thru.

how do i show her she is wonderful?

jeanna's sister was gracious enough to post a way we can all help on jeanna's blog. as you'll read, the insurance will not cover the delivery of their angels. please read the post and find it in your heart to give financially to help cover the medical bills. whatever you can give is much appreciated... $1, $20, $1,000... let's shower them with love!!

(even if you can only give a few dollars, that is better than nothing, and lots of folks doing that will add up!)

not only will chris & jeanna be dealing with this emotionally and physically, but also financially. can you imagine having a lingering medical bill from such an unfortunate event? let's rally together and help take care of this one detail so that they can move on with healing and living.

prayer is powerful, so please pray for this family.

i also encourage you to visit jeanna's blog and leave her a sweet note to know that she is amazingly wonderfully made and loved.

sincerely,
suzanne

what is this?!!?

2010-01-09T13:00:00.003-05:00

so i've played mental ping pong for a while now about beginning a blog. at this point i'm not going to make any crazy commitments to blogging every hour, but i'll do the best i can!

why am i starting this blog?

well because of the many things going on around me recently... a friend becoming a miracle after a horrific car accident... a friend's disappointment of hearing no heartbeats when going in for an ultrasound of her twin babies... a friend's fight to keep her marriage... a friend's struggle to conceive a child...

all these things going on around us that make us question our life, the plan for our life, this crazy world we live in, all the questions that we come up with during trials.

i want to inspire and educate the women in my life to know that you are amazingly wonderfully made and realize things you never dreamed possible or at some point were convinced you didn't deserve can be yours.

what is this blog about?

well, who knows where we'll take this journey!? i've got a lot of ideas running thru my head. some posts i'm sure will be comical stories from my life and yours. some will be advice. some will be about the books and movies i've read. some will be ideas for your marriage, your children, your friendships. beauty tips. cleaning tips. recipes. crafts. so many things packaged into one simple blog.

so you, reading this right now, know that you are loved. get ready... your life is about to change.