Goals - A Third Time Around

It has been a few days since I last posted.  Life sure has gotten crazy around here.  Busy, busy, busy!  It is only going to get worse with Christmas coming.

I did complete my last set of goals with the exception of painting my son's room.  That one is on this set of goals again.

Goal #1:  I feel really behind on my coupons.  I really need to clean out all the expired and cut the stack of coupons I have still whole in my binder.  It is so much easier for me to put them all in their categories for me to find them easier when I go shopping.  Since I have been helping with purchasing items for my church pantry, I really need to have them prepared and try to keep them that way.

Goal #2:  My poor son is patiently awaiting me to pain his room so it is ready for his car designs to go up.  Hopefully with this week being a holiday week, we will make some progress there.

Goal #3:  I have a great deal of my Christmas gift shopping already done.  I really need to put up the Christmas tree and wrap the presents I have so they don't get lost.  Who doesn't love the beauty of the Christmas tree anyways?!  I can't wait to put out the Christmas decorations!

I have several things up for sale also.  I didn't include them on the goals list above but have them posted on several sites to try and sell them.

So, have you set goals for yourself yet?  Don't wait until January 1st to make resolutions to clean up.  If you have set goals, definitely share them with me.  I can always use more inspiration!

Goals #2

Two days after I established my first set of goals, I am happy to say I have accomplished all 3 of them.  I sold the pink knee pads to a friend, folded and put away all the laundry that was haunting me and went through the entire gigantic pile of papers.  Those are not ALL put away but there are just a few to file away and then they are gone!

Here are my next set of goals:

#1:  In my first set of goals I had paper overload.  Why?  MAIL!  I need to come up with some way to organize mail as soon as it enters our home.  I will be searching pinterest for a good idea and I would love some idea suggestions from you as well!

#2:  My son has been asking for us to repaint his room for quite some time.  With the small amount of free time we have, it has been a very LONG running job.  We had to strip the wallpaper boarder off the walls which is now finally done.  Now we need to either move everything out of his room or move it so that we can paint.  That will be a big job as well as he and his brother have a lot of stuff.  This may be a goal that will remain on my list for a bit but I will update progress as it comes.

#3:  My sale item for this set of goals is a Leap Frog game I bought thinking it would work with the Leap Pad my son has which it did not.  I do not wish to purchase another Leap Pad system so I will be selling this game.  It is a Leap Frog Little Touch LeapPad "Where the Wild Things Are" game that I would like to get $5 for.  It retails new for $16.

Has anyone else taken this challenge and set 3 small goals for yourself to help get your life under control as I have?  If so, I would love to hear about your progress!

New Perspectives

I have decided that I need to help myself get motivated and make some personal accomplishments.  I need to set some goals and work to accomplish them one at a time.  It may sound easy to do but with our busy lives, sometimes we overlook the small stuff that makes a big difference for our families.  It would be unrealistic for me to think I can make a list and do all those things in a small amount of time.  The reality is that I see that list and get overwhelmed and just shut down.  I think to myself, "I can't get all of these things done!  I must be insane!  I must be super lazy to have a list this large!"  Have you ever felt this way?  Well, lets see if this method can help me get my life in order one small step at a time!  Here are my first 3 goals:

Goal #1:  I don't know about you but I tend to buy things that are "inexpensive" in hopes of needing them or using them but they sometimes just sit and collect dust.  I am going to try my hardest to sell/donate/trash some of the things in my home to help keep things tidy.  The first item I have chosen are Bell Kidz Starburst Pink Knee and Elbow Pads.  I purchased them for $2 and since they are brand new, still in the package, I would like to get what I paid for them.  I have posted them on 2 Facebook garage sale sites so we will see if they sell.

 Goal #2:  Seriously, I am buried in laundry.  With 3 boys in this house, one under age 2, it seems as if there is ALWAYS laundry to do.  It is so sad to me when my son, in tears, says, "Mommy, I have absolutely no socks."  Bless his little heart.  Mommy tells him to go get some socks on and he doesn't have any clean.  First of all, I think there is a sock eating monster that slowly devours one sock at a time.  Secondly, little feet mean little bitty socks.  I have found socks in the most impossible places in my house because they are so stinking tiny!  Anyways, catching up on current laundry is my second goal.

Goal #3:  I really wish there was a way to stop ALL unnecessary mail from coming to my house.  In this day and age, pretty much all statements can be viewed online.  Why do they offer online statements and bills AND mail them to you also?  I have tried to unsubscribe from every mailing list that I can (except for coupon ones because those are necessary).  Those credit card ones are the real killer.  If you don't destroy those, someone can fill out a credit card application in your name and run up a huge bill and then you are stuck with a bill for a card you never asked for or used.  This happened to a friend of mine.  That reality really sucks!  If anyone knows of a way to never get those things, I am all ears!  Back to my point, everyday mail creates a mess of papers that ends up taking over my house, not to mention all the "art projects" from preschool for both my boys.  Yikes!  I feel like I am going to be buried in paper!

I will not promise that I will post everyday but I will try to post often and update you on how I am reaching my goals.  I will try to complete all 3 goals and then post all new ones once they are complete.  Thank you, my readers, for helping to keep me accountable.  Please comment on how you go about taking back control of your life!

Ringling Brothers Circus was Fabulous!

 The show was outstanding in my opinion.  It kept your attention from start to finish.  I loved the dragon  emphasis.  My boys thought it was absolutely amazing.  The picture above you can see the neat twist on the high rope dancers.  The balls were a nice touch and very different from what I had ever seen before.

 My 4 year old son is taking martial arts so he really loved to watch the monks.  Some of the things they did had me sitting at the edge of my seat wondering if they would come out of it in one piece.  The picture with the fire above was one of the monks jumping through blindfolded.  The rig was spinning and it had blades.  Pretty amazing.

 Above it a picture of the whole group of monks.  They were really neat to watch.

Of course the trapeze is a circus favorite and always has been.  Their outfits were neat with blue dragons and sparkle which really looked cool as they flew in their flips.  It was a very awesome show to watch!

If you haven't purchased tickets yet, be sure to get your tickets for tomorrow's show!  It is definitely a show that you don't want to miss!

Ringling Brother's & Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Dragons!

It is that time of year again for the greatest show on Earth!  The circus is coming to the Scottrade Center from October 11th - 14th!

Show description:  "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® Presents DRAGONS is a once in a millennium event that honors The Year of the Dragon. Circus performers from the farthest reaches of the earth have assembled for Ringling Bros.^® Presents Dragons to showcase their astounding acts of bravery and astonishing athleticism. Ringling Bros. Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson presides over this fantastical celebratory tournament of circus champions that brings together mystic dragon lore with authentic circus feats. Dragons is a never-before-seen blend of renowned spiritual and real life legends that can be found only at The Greatest Show On Earth^®!"

Tickets can be purchased through Ticket Master online.  Ticket prices start at $15.  When purchasing your tickets, be sure to use code:  BLOG to save $5 on select tickets online.  This offer excludes Oct 11th 7pm show because tickets are already only $10!  The code is good for all $15 & $20 tickets and are valid at any other show.

Ringling Bros. has also allowed me to giveaway a Family 4-pack of tickets to the Sunday, October 14th 4pm show.  If you are interested in winning tickets to the circus, please enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disney on Ice Recap

 Last night my family and I went to Disney on Ice Treasure Trove and we had a blast!  My four year old couldn't take his eyes off the ice.  He absolutely loved every scene.  The opening scene got the crowd involved and then the ice dancers dove in and put on a great show!

 One of the scenes in the show was from The Lion King.  The costumes were a lot of fun and the skaters were great.

Another of the scenes was from Alice in Wonderland.  I am so happy to see them use one of my favorite classic movies in the show.  It was neat.  The 2 faced men were a real stand out for my little guy.

Another great classic was represented as well.  You can't have a treasure without Peter Pan!  It was fun to watch the lost boys, Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell all preform on the stage.

Overall it was a fabulous, must-see show.  If you haven't purchased your tickets yet, be sure to do so before it is too late!  The show runs until Sunday at the Chaifetz Arena.  Use code:  FFA12 to get discounted tickets!

Disney on Ice Presents Treasure Trove

The winner is Polyanna Appleton.  Congratulations!  Your tickets will be at Will Call for you!

It is that time of year again to bring your family to see an awesome Disney on Ice show.  This year they are doing Treasure Trove.  The show will be in St. Louis from September 20th-23rd at the Chaifetz Arena.  The even better part is that tickets start at only $13!

Because you are a faithful reader of MOAM2008, I have a special discount code for you.  When ordering your tickets, be sure to use code:  FFA12 and you will save $5 off your ticket price.  This coupon code cannot be applied to opening night (Thursday, September 20th) because tickets are only $10 that night.  The code can be used on all $19 or $13 ticket prices.

Would you like even better news?  Feld Entertainment has offered a family 4-pack of tickets for one of my luck readers for the Sunday, September 23rd at 5pm performance.  If you are local and able to attend the show that day, please enter the giveaway for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream

*Pictures to be added ASAP*

Let me tell you, the show was AWESOME!  It was very entertaining, kept your attention, even for the little guys, colorful, energetic, great dancing, etc.  It was definitely one of the best Disney on Ice shows I have been to.

My 2 year old nephew couldn't take his eyes off the ice.  He absolutely loved it.  My 4 year old really enjoyed when Mickey came out.  My little guy (1 year old) really loved the horses.  He kept saying, "Roof".  He thought the horses were dogs :-).  Bless his little heart!

The show started with an introduction from Mickey and the gang.  The first story portrayed was The Frog Princess, then came Cinderella and finally Tangled.  The stunts in Tangled were absolutely amazing!  I am not going to give away what they did, you will have to go and buy your tickets and watch the show yourself!

You can purchase tickets from TicketMaster.  Children 3 and under are FREE if they sit on your lap.  Use code 1MOM2 and get the tickets for $11 for select shows.

Pink Zebra Giveaway!

Have you heard of Pink Zebra.  I like most girls love candles!  There is not much better than curling up to a great book with a cup of hot tea or coffee and lighting a relaxing scented candle.  My friend Maggie started consulting for Pink Zebra and asked me to sample a candle and review it for her.  I'm so glad I did!  The smell is FABULOUS!!!

The Sprinkles that I had the pleasure to try were Garden Lilac & Stress Relief.  Those 2 scents together are wonderful.  I am normally not one who likes flowery smells but when combined with the other fragrance, it is very calming and relaxing to me.  Below are some pictures I took of the candle holder and Sprinkles candle that was created by the combination of the 2 scents.

How I would like to tell you a bit about what I learned about the products.  The Sprinkles are made from Soft Soy® wax and high quality fragrance oils.  These oils are blended together to give the candles 50% more fragrance than the average.  Using the Sprinkles, you can personalize the fragrance in 3 different ways:

• Combine the Sprinkles to make your own candle/color combination.
• Change the candle's fragrance by adding Sprinkles to the top.
• Mix the Sprinkles in a Simmer pot for a flameless variation.

There are 44 different fragrances currently available for purchase on their website.  Other products they carry include:  simmer pots, re-sealable reed diffusers, dish soaps, lotions, soaps, caddy & candle stands.

Maggie has given me the opportunity to offer you, my readers, the chance to sample the Sprinkles if you would like.  You can email her to request samples.  She also wanted to offer one of my readers a Sprinkle giveaway.  The winner can choose the Sprinkle scent/color of their choice.

Disney on Ice Dare to Dream!

Disney on Ice is again coming to St. Louis.  The Scottrade Center is hosting the awesome event.  There is nothing I love more than to bring my kiddos to these fabulous Disney shows.  The best part is that it is only $13 a ticket!

Use the code:  1MOM2 to get discounted tickets from TicketMaster for select shows for only $11.  This discount excludes Thursday 7pm, Saturday 3pm, & Sunday 1pm performances.

Here is the even better part, I have the awesome opportunity of offering a family 4-pack of tickets to  Sunday's show, March 25th at 5pm.  Be the first one to enter your information and answer the Disney question and you win the tickets.  Winner will be announced tomorrow evening!

Chex Party Mix-Change Giveaway!

How many of you made a New Year's resolution to have friends over to your home more?  I love opening my home to friends and family to celebrate holidays or just to have a game night get together.  Chex mix is one of my favorite snacks to serve and eat :-).

Chex Mix & Sam's Club has actually provided me with 3 awesome boxes of Chex cereal & a gift card to get other ingredients to host my own Chex Mix party get together with friends.  How would you like to host a party just like mine?

To enter the giveaway, you must be a fan of my page (Mom On A Mission 2008).  Please fill out the form below to be entered to win.  The winner will receive a box of Chex Cereal & a $25 gift card to Sam's club.

Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Sam’s Club, Chex Party Mix and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Naturalizer Review & 48 Hour Giveaway!

Have you ever tried a pair of Naturalizers?  I hadn't until now.  I always wanted a pair but never knew if they were worth the money.  I can now honestly say that they are WELL worth the money.  They have been around since the 1920s so they have had lots of time to get their product right. 

Naturalizers come in a variety of sizes (4.5-12) and widths (narrow, medium, wide) for extra comfort.

I usually hate wearing heels but these boots are the most comfortable heels I have ever worn in my entire life!  I could wear them all day and night and not even remember I had heels on.  They fit perfectly around my calf and even have a little stretch to them for added comfort.  They are classy and just plain fabulous looking.  They are beautiful with skirts, capris and even jeans.  I absolutely LOVE them.

Check out this video for even more information.

Now to make this review even sweeter, one of my readers get a chance to try out these fabulous shoes as well.  All you have to do is be a fan of my site and fill out the form below.  The winner will receive 1 of their top 3 choices from the 10 selected styles in the Naturalizer fall collection:

*Collette

*Irma

*Lennox

*Valya

*June

*Kendall

*Illy

*Tyla

*Arness

*Dinka

Be a Part of Something Wonderful!

If you have followed my blog for a while, you know that I have donated to Operation Christmas Child for several years and really have a passion for this ministry. We look at our children who appear to have everything and get tons of gifts for Christmas. Now, think of the thousands of children around the world who have nothing! Could you imagine the looks on those children's faces when they are given a shoebox full of toys and goodies that you made for them? What an amazing blessing you could be in their life. Not only do they get a box full of goodies, they get presented with the True Meaning of Christmas!

Below is a video of how it all works so you have a better idea.

I would love for you to help me in this endeavor to send these love filled shoeboxes to kids. All you have to do is fill an average shoebox or shoebox sized box and mail it to:

Samaritan’s Purse
Operation Christmas Child

801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607

If you would like more information on what to donate, you can visit their site at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ/.

Barnum & Bailey Circus!

So, my little ones and I went to the circus last night and loved it!  My youngest (8 months) loved the beginning with all the action.  There were circus characters all over the rink in all their bright colors and moving all around.  Definitely entertaining for him.  My oldest (almost 4) loved the elephants and the big metal cages with the two guys.  He said, "Mommy, someday I can do that because I'm a Superhero!"  It was too cute!

The thing I missed the most in this year's circus compared to last years was the motorcyclists in the big sphere.  That was one of the coolest things I have ever seen and I was really bummed that wasn't in this year's performance.  I feel like there was a bit less dramatic activities in this circus compared to previous years.

I did love the new act with the bouncing feet and the neon glow in the dark people.  That was pretty neat to watch.  I also love watching the tigers.  I think one of these years, they are going to paw him a little too hard!  One of them really gave him a good whap from what I could see.  I'm sure he is used to that.  My house cats do that to me but those guys were MUCH bigger!

I got some great pictures that I hope to get up very soon.  If you haven't gotten tickets to the circus yet, there is still time!  It is definitely worth going to see and taking your little ones.  They will enjoy it for sure!

Betty Crocker Fan Fare

Betty Crocker has posted some amazing sounding recipes to share with you.  You can check these out at Betty Crocker FanFare.

These popcorn recipes sound amazing.  I love relaxing in the evenings with seasoned popcorn and a good movie.  I am definitely going to try some of these great popcorn flavors and probably a lot of the other featured recipes as well.

Disclosure:  This information was received from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

Circus Giveaway

If you are interested in winning tickets to the show, here is your chance!  I have a family 4-pack of tickets to giveaway to one lucky reader.  All you have to do is fill out the form below.  You must be a follower of my blog and the give away only last for 24 hours so hurry!  Tell all your friends and family about their chance to win!

The tickets the winner receives will be for Thursday, opening night.

Congrats to Tara H. for winning the tickets!

Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus in STL!

We are so excited in our house to go and see the circus!  There is nothing more fun than watching all the activities that go on at the circus.  Below is a picture of some of the characters you can check out at the circus.  Don't they just look like a lot of fun?!

Go and meet Tabayara, a magnificent animal trainer, 2 amazing strongmen, brothers who tackle the Twin Turbines of Steel, the human fuse shoot himself across the arena, and share a little laughter with Clown Alley.

Your little ones and you are sure to enjoy this year's show!  Like always, there is a discount code so you can get your tickets for a cheaper rate: 11MOMFC.  This will save you $4 off each ticket you purchase.

The show times are as follows:

Thursday, October 13 at 7pm

Friday, October 14 at 10:30am or 7pm

Saturday, October 15 at 1pm or 5pm

Sunday, October 16 at 12pm, or 4pm

Which one will you attend?

Sam's Club Pink Promotion Giveaway!

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, beginning September 19th, Sam's stores will be carrying pink packaging on participating General Mills products.  For 5 years, General Mills has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  As usual, they will be donating $2 million to Komen to fund research & support education & outreach projects.

You can help by purchasing specially marked boxes of your favorite General Mills products and decide how 1/2 of that contribution will be donated by voting at PinkTogether.com until April 15, 2012.

The $2 million will be divided between two Komen programs:

*Treatment & Assistance Program - helping women get the care they need even when they can't afford it.

*Prevention Research - helps spread information and education to prevent breast cancer.

You choose where you want the donations to go between those 2!  Both are very necessary and cheritable programs.

Of course I am also going to help one of my readers with their purchase of the awesome General Mills products from Sam's Club by giving away a $25 giftcard to Sam's Club.

You must be a follower of MOAM2008 and fill out the form below to enter the giveaway.

Disclosure: The information and gift card(s) have been provided by Sam’s Club and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.


Congrats to Tara H. for winning this giveaway!

Disney on Ice Toy Story 3 Review

Let me just tell you that TOY STORY 3 ON ICE WAS AMAZING!

I think it was for sure the best Disney on Ice production I have been to yet.  Usually when we go to Disney on Ice, my little guy gets bored about 1/2 way through.  Not this time!  He was entertained through the entire performance.  I'm not sure if it was because this was a show geared more toward boys or if it was because he loves Toy Story.

My little nephew had a blast as well.  He seems to really have a good time and the cousins loved playing with their Buzz Lightyear whirly toys their grandma bought them before the show started.  The pictures you see below were from the show but they really don't do justice to the show itself.  If you haven't gotten your tickets to the show yet, you will want to.  This show is one that you don't want to miss!

If you are going to buy tickets, be sure to use the code:  MOMT3 and you will get $4 off tickets!

 This was Buzz getting dropped into the alien arcade game.  The aliens were very cool looking.  They were one of my favorites at this show.

 Woody and Jessie doing a dance.  I absolutely love to watch ice skating and they make it look so fun and creative!

 Barbie and Ken doing their romance dance.  They really looked like big dancing Barbies to me!  They were also a favorite of mine.  I loved the scene with the 20 or so Barbies that danced together in their neon colored jumpsuits.  Very entertaining!

This was a shot of a lot of the gang that was in the show.  At the end, they all came out and did a dance together.  It was very neat to see them all and hear my little guy name them off as he saw them.

It really was a great show so definitely consider going to see it.  If you live in St. Louis, you have until Sunday to see the show so buy tickets ASAP.  If you don't live in St. Louis, they are going to other cities so check the schedule and see if they are coming to you!

Yoplait Giveaway!

If you have been to the grocery store lately, you may have already seen the pink lids on the Yoplait yogurts canisters.  You may ask what the significance of the pink lids is?  Well, October is breastcancer awareness month and Yoplait, through Save Lids to Save Lives, will donate $.10 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure per lid collected.

There are several collection sites that you can drop off your Yoplait lids at.  Most Schnucks locations have a large pink collection box that you can place your lids in.  You may also mail them to me at

MOAM2008

PO Box 27704

St. Louis, MO 63146

You can also redeem them at Yoplait.com.

If you do not know someone who has been affected by breastcancer, listen to these statistics.  1 in 8 women in the US alone will be diagnosed with breastcancer sometime in their life.  This could be a friend, wife, mother, sister, neighbor, etc. 

My grandmother is a breastcancer survivor so this is something that hits close to home for me.  How about you?  Do you have someone you love affected?

Whether you do or not, it is as simple as saving the lid from your yogurt that could help find a cure for someone.  There is no extra money involved and you could save a life.  If you normally don't eat Yoplait, maybe you could try it out for a few months just to help save a life.  You have until December 31st to send in the lids to Yoplait.  Yoplait will donate up to $2 million.

Since you are going to be going out and buying Yoplait to help out, here is a coupon for $.30 off that you can print.  Remember, most grocery stores will double $.30 coupons so you will really be saving $.60!  There are also coupons for Yoplait yogurt in recent Sunday paper inserts.

Because my readers are awesome and will strive to collect a dozen or more Yoplait lids, Yoplait & MyBlogSpark would like to offer a Yoplait prize pack as seen above.  This prize pack includes:

Two VIP coupons, each valid for one free Yoplait yogurt core cup product

A Yoplait pink lid collection kit

Tote bag

Heart-shaped key holder

Hope Journal

Pen

To be entered into the giveaway, you must be a follower of Mom On A Mission 2008 & fill out the form below.

Disclosure: The Yoplait prize pack, information and coupon have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.