Thrift Shop Part 2

Here are the rest of the deals we came away with on Saturday. I picked up a few things for Jaquelyn and several for Rebecca. Mostly some spring/summer items.
Teresa didn't get much because she has very specific tastes and I am not about to guess. I did make an effort and pick up a pair of Vans for her because she needed some new shoes. They are kind of funky because the tongue is super thick but she might wear them occasionally. They were actually the best deal of all even though they were $6.95. That would be because when I got home and checked my receipt, they had not rung them up. Oh well, I am certainly not driving all the way back there to fix it. I have been known to correct stores in this fashion but usually only if it doesn't inconvenience me. An hour drive is a definite inconvenience.












I found this cute dress for Jaquelyn from Amy Too/Amy Byer. I really like it and she does too. She needed a new dress for Easter and Sunday School and at $2.95 it was a bargain.
















These shorts were each .95 cents. Jaquelyn's are from Talbot Kids and Rebecca's are from Target and Carters.












Rebecca seemed to be short some dresses when I went looking in her closet the other day so I decided to pick some up while we were thrifting. These 5 dresses range from $.95-$2.95 so I figured I probably spent the same for all of them that I would have paid for one brand new...if it was on sale. (they added up to $10.75)
































I didn't actually mean to buy this dress. When we are going through and shopping at most thrift shops, I just put everything I like into the cart. Then, when we are ready to go, I examine everything a bit more closely and decide if I really want to get it. Even though I really liked it and it was from Lands' End, I noticed a few stains on it and a small hole and it was still pretty big for Rebecca at size 6. Unfortunately, when we were sorting through what we wanted and didn't want, it somehow made it into the keep pile. Oh well, it was only $1.95 so I'm not out any big bucks and she'll still wear it when she finally fits into it.

Make New Friends...But Keep The Old. One Is Silver And The Other Gold

Hey, hey, hey, it's Friend Makin' Monday. Time to share tidbits about ourselves and meet new people. This week, Kasey's Friend Makin' Monday is 10 things we cannot live without and why.

1. My computers. At the moment I only have my laptop but I miss my desktop tremendously. The laptop is ok but Pogo does not work on it for some reason and I miss playing games a bunch. I am seriously attached to being connected. I love checking out blogs, email and just surfing around.
















2. My camera. I love taking pictures of the kids, especially the little ones. You know, since they still smile nicely and don't roll their eyes and grimace when I want to take their picture...so far.










3. Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew. The only two soda's I like to drink. I will drink something else if I have to but I will not drink cola at all.












4. Big desk calendars. With 4 kids each having multiple activities, a huge calendar is a necessity around here. I have one on my desk and one in the kitchen with everything on it from who is playing softball and where to what's for dinner tonight.













5. Christian Schools. Jaquelyn goes to a local private Christian school that I really like. The older two went to the same type of school until they got to middle school and we just couldn't afford to have all three in a private school anymore. I love the A Beka curriculum that they used to use but now it's only in the youngest grades, through 2nd I think. The current books are ok and I wouldn't trade the small, homey school for the big public one. I can't wait for Rebecca to go there for kindergarten. They actually start at 4 but we just can't quite swing the tuition for both of them this fall. Hopefully something magical will happen by the time she's ready to start.
















6. Books. I love to read. All the time.(when I can fit it in of course) I love series especially like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books and Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries.

















7. Coupons. I am a tried and true coupon shopper. I scrounge for coupons everywhere, to include digging around in the big recycling area near our house for the ones other people have recycled. It's like getting 5-6 Sunday papers worth of coupons each time. Free money!!











8. Thrift Shops. Whether it's Goodwill, Salvation Army or our own favorite Value Village. I could not live with out these amazing gold mines. My previous post was full of goodies we just got from there and I still have another post to put together for the rest of what we picked up. All for less than the cost of one prom dress , which is what we went there for...and found for a steal.












9. Harrisons Transmissions. This is our local garage that we frequent....frequently. This place has bent over backwards to stand behind their work. They have replaced my serpentine belt about 6 times since they first fixed it in February of 08. At no charge to me. They finally found the right part through many trials and errors and mis-advice from the Dodge parts people. This one has managed to stay on since this past December. I think it's finally here to stay. We get all our vehicle problems taken care of there and I wouldn't think of going anywhere else. The owner is a great guy who always comes out and says Hi and lets us know what's going on this time. He tells us what has to be fixed now, what can wait, and how long we can wait until it will cost more to fix. Nothings beats a trustworthy, great mechanic!












10. Shoes. I have two favorite pairs/types of shoes. First and foremost, white and navy blue Reeboks. I love these shoes and have been wearing them for many years. I have a least 3 pairs that I can think of and probably more. Each one lasts about 2-3 years before I destroy it beyond wearability. I search high and low until I can find them again and then start destroying the next pair. The others are the Ecco Yucatans my mom got me two years ago for my birthday. They are soooo comfortable. I wear them constantly in the summer months. They are so perfect for doing anything in, the pool, the beach, the park, anything! I am not a flip flop kinda gal and don't even let the girls wear them unless we are going to the pool or beach. Nothing against anyone else out there, I just don't know when they gravitated from beachwear to office wear. I must have missed that memo.














So these are the things I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sure I have forgotten something that will pop into my head in a few days that I will be amazed I forgot but oh well. We'll all get over it, huh.

A Fun Trip To The Thrift Shop

I am now going to bore everyone to tears and go on and on and brag tell about all the great stuff we picked up at the thrift shop yesterday. So be forewarned and if you choose to skip this post, be my guest. It'll be a loooooong one.
Anyhoo... Taylor spent the night at a friends house Friday night so I went over the bridge on Saturday to pick her up. She has been talking about going to the prom in May and I know that dresses can be a bit pricey. So I told her that before I would consider paying full price we had to check out several thrift shops and see what they had to offer before looking into "real" stores. Since we were already over there, we decided to check out our favorite spot Value Village. You can read about another trip here. It is truly the best thrift shop ever. It was a great trip even more because it was just the two of us so Becca and Jaquelyn weren't fussing and wanting everything they see. Teresa had Color Guard practice so she couldn't join us either.
We came home with deals galore!! Since it's my blog and I get to make the rules, I am going to post pictures of all our deals and even brag some more tell about how much we stole paid for each item. I am also going to break it down to two posts so it's not so overwhelming.
Taylor was the big winner since she was with me and so able to pick out her own things. I have long stopped trying to find deals at thrift shops for the older two. Since they all have no return policies, it is not financially sound. I will very occasionally pick up clothing for them when they are not with me but only if I know I can return it if they do not like it. I will still get things for Jaquelyn and Rebecca because they are so easy to shop for and will wear pretty much anything.
So....on to Taylor's great finds.

These two cute little items are from H&M and were $1.95 each. She will most likely be wearing them with leggings or tights or even jeans under them because her crazy, obnoxious parents won't let her out of the house in dresses that short.

















Here is a scooter from Aeropostale...a steal for only $2.95. And Weathervane shorts for a mere $3.45.












This cute little thing is from Esprit de Corp. What a blast from the past. I can remember loving their clothes when I was a teenager. She is probably going to wear this for Easter with a little white sweater. $3.45
















The most awesome part of the whole trip to Value Village was the dress we ended up with for prom. We both like it...a miracle in itself. It's not too short, doesn't have spaghetti straps and it's not skin tight...the reasons I like it. It's not too long, doesn't have long sleeves and it fits her very nicely...the reasons she likes it. The reason we both love it...$5.95. Without further ado....

















I don't usually look for too much at the thrift shop because I have a huge closet full of clothes. I rarely change my style so I still have the same clothes from five years ago and have little need for more. I especially rarely wear dresses except for Easter, Christmas Eve and the occasional wedding/baptism. While we were looking through the dresses for Taylor, I came across this cute little Liz Claibourne dress that I fell in love with. It still had the tags on it($54) and I will only have to shorten it to make it a perfect fit (sucks to be so short). I am a sucker for navy blue and try hard to not let everything in my closet end up that color but it's hard. I feel like this was a bargain at $5.95.
















I also picked up a swimsuit bottom because the suit I bought 2 years ago is starting to get a bit thin in places so I need something to rotate the bottoms with. $2.95












And one more minor item was a girl scout vest for either Taylor if she decides to continue next year or Jaquelyn when she gets to that stage which is only a few years away. $2.95

So that's it for today. Tomorrow I will go on to share what Rebecca, Jaquelyn and Teresa scored. TTFN

Crazy Hair Day

Today was crazy hair day at Jaquelyn's school. She asked last night just before 9pm if she could have some of that temporary hair dye that you can spray on your hair. Because that stuff is everywhere when it's not Halloween. And you can find it at the last minute. NOT!! She had to make do with the brown spray I had picked up last year to spray the bunny ears that Teresa had to have colored brown...that she changed her mind and kept white. I just kind of made up her hairstyle as I went along. What I had originally started doing was not what we ended up with but I thought it was adorable nonetheless. I am certain we got some odd looks when I picked her up and we stopped off at Target. I suppose it especially looks odd partnered with the uniform.

Pinewood Derby a.k.a Talbot 500

I am going to assume that most people out there have heard of the Pinewood Derby that the Boy Scouts have. Just in case that is not the deal here is a quick run down.
The child is given a chunk of wood, I would assume it's pine, and some wheels and the parent and child have to design a car that they think will go faster than everyone else's.
Last year our Girl Scout Council decided to have one for our girl scouts. Something new to get the Dad's involved I suppose.
We had our 2nd Annual Talbot 500 this past weekend and Jaquelyn had a blast. She didn't place too well since her first race had her paired up with one of the girls who ended up placing pretty high, but she still had fun. Dan scoped out all the other cars to get some ideas to use for next year.

Wordless Wednesday

Craftiness Updated or Tackle It Tuesday

Jaquelyn went to the birthday party and the girl loved the matching outfits. She must have thanked me about a dozen times while I was there. I was so glad she liked them. I was awfully worried she wouldn't. Here is a picture of the jammies I made for her (well the bottoms anyhow, store bought shirt). I even talked to her mom today and they didn't fall apart or anything when she wore them.
















I also finally completed Rebecca's sheets so there's one more off the list.














Since I was so into the sewing machine I decided to go all out and tackle all the little things that have been piling up. I fixed two buttons that had come off of shirts...probably over a year ago. A hole in a shirt...maybe only 6 months ago.

And my list of various items that needed to be sewen...finished!!!

Of course, since I was so into the doll clothes making mode I just kept going. Jaquelyn has been dying for some jeans for her doll and I just refuse to pay the ridiculous prices out there, even on Ebay. So I grabbed some old denim from some jeans that had been cut off for shorts and.....presto, her doll is the proud owner of a cute pair of capri's. Then I found some more denim and made a pair of jeans too.

Menu Plan Monday

I have read Heidi's Menu Plan Monday many times and always thought I should try it out. I usually plan out my meals for the week on Sunday or Monday anyhow, I just find it makes dinner time so much easier. If I make out a schedule, I know I have everything I need and I don't have to wander around trying to find something edible. I can also plan around the girls activities such as T-ball, Volleyball and two different softball schedules.
So anyhow, without further ado....

Creamy Chicken Noodles, Lima Beans, Rolls
Spaghetti, Peas, Garlic Bread
Chili W/Rice, Cauliflower, Cornbread
Crispy Chicken, Mixed Veggies, Rolls
Fish Fillets/Fish sticks, Broccoli, Flavored Rice
Leftovers
BBQ, Potato Salad

We just got a new grill last week and are using it lots. Our old one rusted through and we haven't had one to use for ages. I love grilling so it will be on our menu often. (especially since Dan is the one who does the grilling)
Head over to orgjunkie to see other Menu Plan Mondays.

Praying For Stellan

Please pray for MckMama and her family. Stellan is in the hospital again with a racing heart. This is what was wrong with him last summer when MckMama was still pregnant with him. We are keeping them all in our prayers hoping that he will revert back to a normal heartbeat.

Craftiness

Today was a day full of crafts and projects. I decided I was finally going to take care of some of those things that I had been putting off for weeks.
In December, I found a very nice, plain, white t-shirt. I already had some iron on transfers from who knows where at home. I wanted to make Rebecca a Cars shirt since she loves the movie soooo much. I had looked around a bit but never really saw any shirts I was willing to pay their ridiculous prices for. Besides which, they were all very boyish. (understandably) So this has been hanging around my house for almost 3 months and I finally took care of it today. I found two great pictures, one of Lightning McQueen and one of Mater and she truly loved it. If it wasn't 40 degrees here I'm sure she would have been changing right then.















Secondly, Jaquelyn is going to a birthday party tomorrow and the girl just received an American Girl Doll this week for her birthday. I don't know why but I decided that it would be a great present to make matching pajamas for her and her doll. The day before the party. By me, the very mediocre sewer with no ability to figure a pattern out to save her life. So I figured starting with the dolls outfit made the most sense. The first pair of pants I made were much too short because I was using a pair of capris as a pattern and totally forgot to add some length. So I just let Jaquelyn have those for her doll. The second pair came out nicely but then came the shirt dilemma.
I had planned on just buying white t-shirts to go with the fleece bottoms because that would be so much easier. I, of course didn't take into account that we live in the middle of nowhere and there are absolutely no doll shirts in the entire county. So being the crafty mom, I pull out an old tshirt that was bought to make something with a million years ago and cut it up to make a simple tshirt. No problem right? Soooooo many problems. By the time I had finished the shirt I was ready to kill anyone who talked to me and I was biting the kids heads off if they even talked in the same room I was in. Just a bit moody, huh? Obviously I am so ready for Mother of the Year. I couldn't believe the troubles I was having with my sewing machine. Every time I tried to sew a tiny hem on the shirt, it got stuck and ended up with gobs of thread all over the back of the seam. I'm sure I was doing something wrong with tension or something but I am borderline sewing machine illiterate so I was doing my best. It was so frustrating because I didn't have any problems with the pants but the shirt was going to drive me over the Cliffs of Insanity. I somehow survived and will do the birthday girl's pants tomorrow. I just hope she likes the outfits.

















Thirdly...are you kidding. I didn't even get to the third item I wanted to finish today. About a month ago, I snagged a bunch of material at our Walmart because they are remodeling and taking the material section in the craft area out. Sniff, sniff. Anyhow, I thought it would be so simple to make a sheet set for Rebecca's toddler bed. Well yeah the top sheet was a piece of cake. I finished that the week I brought it all home. Not so much for the fitted sheet. I just can't get my head around how to get the corners done. I have looked at her other sheets, cut one corner down the seam of a really old sheet that doesn't have enough elastic to keep it on the bed and even brought her mattress down several times trying to figure it out. Still escaping me.











I really wish I was a great sewer that could make all kinds of clothes for me and the kids. Some of those patterns out there are too cute. I actually have a whole shoebox full of patterns I have bought at garage sales. Never opened. Cannot figure them out at all. And of course our town is too small to have classes of those sorts. Well that's enough whining on my part I guess. Hope your Friday was fun! I'm off to work on my computer so I can head to bed!

Funny, Funny Blog

While surfing around bloggy land, I came across a post about an Ebay auction for Pokemon cards. When I started reading it, I realized that I remembered reading this some time ago and had just forgotten about it. I don't think I even knew what blogging was 2 years ago.
Now I come to find out, the author has a blog. Oh. My. Goodness. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. I had tears streaming down my face as I was trying not to wake everyone else up with my laughter. She is such a riot. You should really go check out Dawn's blog. Huh-larious!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy St. Patrick's Day

Iron Chef Blogstyle Chicken Galore

I am slightly late in posting about this but I figured I had better do something soon or I am going to be a laughing stock. Heidi picked her three recipes to compete for her Iron Chef competition this month and for some strange reason, mine was one of the ones picked. So far no one has voted for my recipe. :-(
I know that I am a horrible cook but doesn't anyone out there like my Rice Krispie chicken? We actually really enjoy it. Maybe it's just too much like chicken nuggets for everyone else's taste. We are kind of simple when it comes to cooking since I'm not very good at it.
Anyhow, there's only 8 days left in the voting process so if there is anyone out there who wants to take a stab at the three recipes chosen, you'd better hop to it.

If I Had 11 Siblings

Ok, Heidi set down a bit of a challenge and I guess I will rise to the occasion. Here's what she wrote:

Heidi has nothing to blog about, either, but feels the need to run at the mouth like me. So I'm giving her an assignment. Heidi? This is your topic: On this day in 1751, our 4th President, James Madison was born. Madison was the oldest of twelve (12) children. What do you think would be the advantages and/or disadvantages of having eleven (11) siblings? Would you like to have eleven younger brothers and sisters?

I would totally love to have 11 siblings. I don't know if I would like to be the oldest because that would involve a lot of responsibility but in those days, the oldest probably would have been out of the house before the youngest was even born. Unless the mother had them in consecutive years or lots of multiples. I grew up as an only child and I was always miserable. I wanted a little brother or sister so much. I did finally get one but it was years later. He's a college freshman right now so we didn't grow up together or anything. I think households with lots of kids are always loud and fun and full of things to do. I used to play games by myself because there was no one around to play with. With that many kids running around, there would always be someone to play with. There would also be lots of people to share the chores around the house with.
There would also be disadvantages. No privacy. You would always have to share your stuff and probably your room too. Younger sibs would mess your stuff up and take it. If money was an issue, there might not always be enough food for everyone to feel full. You would probably very rarely be the center of attention and the younger kids would have to be looked after and taken care of.
I love hearing stories of my husbands family about when they were growing up. It always sounds like so much fun was had. They knew everyone in the neighborhood and hung out and played and had a grand old time. I know it wasn't always perfect but it means something that the majority of their memories are happy and fun.

I just want you to know I have a bone to pick with you, Heidi. You are now my husband's favorite Heidi blog. He loved this writing assignment you gave me and told me you are now his favorite. I have warned you about this in the past. If it keeps up, I am going to have to pull out the big guns. You will have to keep him. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Friend Making Monday

It's Friend Making Monday again. This week Kasey was tagged by Shawn so she passed it along to us with these questions and answers.
Answer honestly!

What is your blogger name?
Heidi @ Tayterjaq's Rebels. I had to add the blog name so I knew when it was me and not one of the many other Heidi's. We are everywhere I tell ya.

When is your birthday?
June 21st

How long have you been blogging?
Friday, August 8, 2008

Who tagged you?
Kasey from All That Is Good

Tell me your five most favorite body parts.
This one is just silly!
1. My feet - I have smooth feet because I really hate going barefoot so they are always covered
2. My tushie - because my hubby likes it
3. Sorry....drawing a blank here...

What do you wish most for your birthday?
To go out for dinner with Dan and the girls, wherever we want, and not have to pay for it!

What color are your nails right now?
They are bare

Have you had any depressing thoughts lately?
Yes...who hasn't? Have you seen the economy?

What’s your plan for the next month?
To get back to the habit of hitting the Y several days a week. Catch up on bills with our tax return.

At what age did you have your first crush?
I am certain that I had one younger but I can't remember anything about it so I will have to go with 6th grade a boy named Luke all the way through 9th grade.

Have you attended any school reunions?
10 year - It was so fun and I'm hoping to hit my 20 year this summer, but since it's in San Francisco, I don't know if I'll be able to make it.

Have you ever passed gas in public and pretended like you didn’t smell anything?
Isn't that what kids are for? To blame things like that on?

Are you a clean freak?
No way, no how. Cleaning is the bane of my existance.

What era do you wish you were born in?
I always wanted to grow up in the fifties with poodle skirts, saddle shoes and 'doing the twist'. The Beach Boys were my favorite group for sooooo long. I used to listen to only 50's-60's music.

Are you a vegetarian?
No. No. No. Love me some meat!

How many pillows do you sleep with at night?
Two and they have to be just right...kinda flat with my flannel pillow cases on them.

Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper?
Heavy...all the way. Except if I am nursing, then I will hear every little sound the baby makes. Any other time, Dan has to wake me up to tell me one of the kids is sick. He really hates that.

Do you secretly wear granny panties when your man is not around?
Not my thing, although I did wear them after my last one was born because the bikini panties I owned hurt my c-section incision too much.

What is your ultimate dream job?
For someone to pay me to stay home and take care of the kids. Nothing more, nothing less. To just get paid for doing what I am already doing.

What does your husband do that annoys you the most?
He always seems to think that I know what he is upset about and why. Sometimes I am completely clueless and he just needs to figure that out.

What is your dream car?
With kids - Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town and Country either one with stow-n-go seating.
Without kids - Jeep Wrangler

Do you wake up easily in the morning?
Not even close. Night owl all the way.

Do you like hairy men?
No.

How about a man with a goatee?
No. Clean shaven with short hair.

Which would you prefer: a two-hour spa massage, a two-hour Thai massage, or a two-hour foot massage?
I don't like massages. At all. I know, I am weird.

Have you ever wished you had a different name? If so, what name?
When I was younger, I wanted a name that could be turned into a nickname but nothing specific.

What is the most extreme sport you have ever done?
Rock climbing and repelling.

Do you prefer traveling in Europe or Asia?
I have never been to Asia but the countries I saw in Europe were pretty nice. I am really a homebody and prefer to stay stateside.

What is your favorite food?
Chinese or Mexican depending on where I am.

What is your most embarrassing moment while out on a date?
I can't think of just one.

Not Me! Monday #24

It's our favorite day of the week again. I can't believe I've actually done this 24 times. It's kind of freaky....but so fun! If you love it too, you can join the fun at MckMama's blog.

I did not hot glue a battery on to an old cell phone this week so that my daughter can use it as an alarm clock. I am not that cheap and we do not have about a dozen old cell phones around the house that we use for alarms and play phones.

I did not have to run to the grocery store late Monday night to make a dish for Jaquelyn's class for her project on Ireland. I did not then stay up super late making some "Irish Mashed Potato Candy". I did not think they were totally gross. I did not then make a completely different dessert. The kids in her class did not love the mashed potato candies and hate the toffee I made. I was not astonished by the tastes of kids. Who knew?

I did not decide to clean my van a bit and then proceed to spend more than an hour and a half cleaning in within an inch of it's life. I did not use spray cleaner and a ton of paper towels, kill more than one Magic Eraser, wash windows, move all the seats, vacuum and more. I was not so disappointed when my husband, who always complains about the messiness of my van, did not even mention how clean it was.

When Jaquelyn was getting ready for school the other day, she did not grab one of my polo shirts out of the dryer and get dressed in it instead of her own uniform shirts. It did not take me pointing it out before she realized it.

I did not get a call from Staples this weekend asking if I had picked my computer up already. That was not too funny because when I went to drop it off to get the free tune-up they were advertising, they said they couldn't look at it because it was not booting up correctly. So I was never able to leave it at all. But they still thought I had left it and were worried they had lost it. It did not cross my mind later that I could have done the naughty thing and said I hadn't picked it up yet...was there a problem? That wouldn't have been totally mean. Do you think I could have gotten a new, working computer?

I did not host a Pay It Forward post on my blog a month ago and still not figure out something cool to send to the people who commented. I am not that horrible at remembering things like that. I am not thinking that they won't like anything I send them and they will regret ever doing the whole thing. I am not that silly and unsure of myself.

I was not extremely frustrated on Wednesday when I decided to take a nap while Rebecca was napping and get woken up three times. Once by the UPS man and twice by the phone. I did not give up and skip the nap and then behave very crankily the rest of the day because I was so tired. I am much more mature than that and never take my lack of sleep out on the people around me.

I did not finally break down and read the Twilight series. I totally did not spend the day Thursday reading the entire Breaking Dawn book. I did not disappoint my daughter by not being nearly as impressed with the series as she was. I am not practically the only person in the world who wasn't completely in love with the series by the end. I did not love the first book and feel like they all went down hill from there. I would not admit to this on my blog and open myself up to mean comments from Twilight fans.

We did not spend a mint on our two vehicles this week. We have not been putting off fixing certain things until we got our tax return. I am not super excited that my van now has a working starter and I don't have to spend several minutes listening to click, click, click anymore. Dan is not happy to have tires that are not bald and actually grip the road. We never procrastinate auto repairs because of lack of money. We always have money put aside to do things like that as soon as they are necessary.

I did not finally buy a new ear thermometer this weekend. We have not had the same ear thermometer since 1993. I was not starting to wonder if it wasn't working well when I took Rebeccas temp a while ago and it came up out of range. Out of range is not 108 freaking degrees. Please tell me how my child is still alive with that kind of temperature. The new one wasn't just in time for Rebecca to get sick again yesterday. I was not upset that I had nothing to blame the 104 temps on since we had a brand new thermometer. I am not frustrated that Rebecca is sick AGAIN!!!!

Funny Joke

I recently found this joke on another blog and decided it was too funny to not share it with everyone. My husband will probably read it and wonder why it's funny but I thought it was hilarious. The punch line was actually just what I expected it to be.

On a transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm.
The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning.
One woman, in particular, loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the front of the plane.
‘I’m too young to die,’ she wails.
Then she yells, ‘If I’m going to die, I want my last minutes on earth to be memorable!
Is there anyone on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?’
For a moment there is silence. Everyone has forgotten their own peril.
They all stare, eyes riveted, at this desperate woman in the front of the plane.
Then a cowboy from Alberta stands up in the rear of the plane.
He is handsome, well built, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.
He starts to walk slowly up the aisle, unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time.
No one moves. He removes his shirt. Muscles ripple across his chest. She gasps.
He whispers . . .
‘Iron this. Then get me a beer.’

I Love Free Stuff

I wasn't actually going to post today because I had finally gotten around to reading the Twilight series and I am less than 200 pages from the end of the last book which I just started this morning. But I decided I wanted to share my excitement about my new free rice cooker.
I have mentioned in the past that I belong to a lot of survey companies and such that give me all kinds of free stuff for doing their surveys, etc. (such as the paper plate test we are doing right now in which I get a whole pack of paper plates and then tell them my opinion of them...too cool) I also collect Coke Rewards. My husband drinks Diet Coke like nobody's business. So when they decided to give rewards for drinking it, I was all for it. I get 3 points for each 2 liter or 20 oz. and 10 points for each 12 pack. While these don't seem like much, over time they really add up. I have gotten free movie tickets, snacks at the movies, coca cola products, photo calendars, photo books, etc. The photo items make great presents. They have had this program for more than two years already so I have had lots of time to save up for bigger prizes.
I just redeemed 1300 points this week for a new rice cooker that is bigger than our last one. I was so tickled to find it delivered today. Seriously, I just ordered it on Monday and it was already hear. That was pretty quick for a site with a 4-6 week disclaimer. So we of course decided to just have rice for dinner.(since Dan wasn't eating with us, that was an option) I threw some broccoli on too and we had a yummy dinner.
It's so cool to get free stuff. It totally makes my day.

Wordless Wednesday