Love The Decor Giveaway

I don't normally partake in the "blogging for giveaways" cycle,
but I ran across one that I definitely wouldn't mind winning!

This is the picture that caught my attention...

So I then went to the website that is hosting the giveaway... LoveTheDecor ... ... and then I totally decided I'd love to win these!

I have to say the name of the company definitely fits because I "Love The Decor"!

Halloweens Past

Halloween is here!
We love Halloween!
You can tell a lot about a kid with what they want to dress up with!
I'm still working on this year's costumes... actually, they're just ideas floatin' up in my head.

That's right. I said it. They're not even started yet.
That's just how TTM* rolls.
Rest assured they will have costumes and be darn cute come tomorrow!
*this tired mom
I thought I'd share a few pictures from our past few Halloweens!

This is Brooklyn - age... 5, I think?
What is says about her: She loves horses, cowgirls and chaw.
(at least that's what I *think* is in her cheek)

Here is Brenna on her 2nd Halloween- 2005
She is "Pebbles"
This costume was made by TTM about a day before the actual festivities.
What is says about her: She has red hair and mom said she had to be Pebbles

"Pebbles & her Dino"

Here are the both of them: Brenna 1, Brooklyn 5

2006:
This is the only picture I have of 2006 on my computer, but what a cute picture it is!
I believe this was the year that Brooklyn went as Super Girl!
Brenna as "Annie"
Auntie Kell helped poof out her hair. TTM hand-made her a red dress.
Again, I'm sure it was done minutes before it was time to go - in true TTM fashion!
What it says about Brenna: She's still to young to have a say in her costume choice.
MOM'S CHOICE!

2007:
Brenna was a kitty. Brooklyn - a cowgirl; gasp, SHOCKER!
TTM still had a lot to say about what Brenna was going to be!

I wish I had a picture from behind! I had the BEST time laughing at the little kitty tail
swishing back and forth! Cutest little kitty butt ever!

2008:
Emma's first Halloween!
TTM found this costume on ebay and couldn't resist the puffy cuteness!

Emma and her Daddy

This was Emma at the end of the night... last stop, Auntie Kell's.
The costume was off, but Auntie Kell got her to wear the fro wig while TTM flashed the peace sign for her.

Full body.
I think I was trying to get the Leg Lovies in the shot!

Our first stop:
Grandma & Grandpas!

Brenna was a butterfly princess!
She was finally old enough to pick out her very own costume!

Brooklyn as Audrey Hepburn
I LOVED this one!

Such memories! I can't wait for the fun tomorrow night!

The waiting is OVER!

Remember when I wrote the post about waiting... and waiting and waiting? Well, the waiting ended last Tuesday, so it's high time I blogged about it! Ginger had her little puppies last Tuesday. It couldn't have been more convenient timing, either. I had just put the kids down for their afternoon nap when she came and "told" me that it was time for her to go upstairs to her box! So, I got to watch and help her through the whole thing!!!

It lasted maybe a little over an hour, but she sure did work for the first one! He came out back feet first and needed "assistance" leaving his home of 2 months! He is all white and weighed 4.8oz/135grams! The girls are calling him "Nathan". (No... I don't know... don't ask me... nope... I'm in complete denial that he's named after a boy they used to go to school with.)

The second puppy came about 15 minutes later and although he was considerably smaller, he was much more vigorous and took less stimulation to get all "frisky". He was 3.6oz/ 101grams shortly after birth. He is mostly white with some black spots! Sooo adorable, as you'll see from the pictures below! The girls are calling him "Franky". (No... I don't know... don't ask me... nope... I'm in complete denial that he's named after a "nice boy" that they used to go to school with.)

So now, they are one week old. Nathan is a champ and is gaining a good ounce per day (on most days). He now weighs 9.8 ounces/278 grams. Franky is also gaining VERY well!!! He is now up to 7.6 ounces and 216 grams!

Ginger is a VERY attentive mama dog and is taking VERY good care of them. She will let Tucker (dad) be in the same room, however if he traipses too close, she is quick to put him in his place! She will also chase and bark and growl at the cats if they even *think* about stepping a foot across the threshold of the front door... Gingi just doesn't care how hungry they are or how long it's been since the girls have fed them! As you can see from the pictures, she is also mellow with the girls around the puppies. The first couple of days she DID NOT want ANYONE to touch them... NOT EVEN ME. I'd reach down to pet one of them and all of a sudden her head would magically appear under my hand. So I'd try another avenue, but she blocked me then, too! I'm not gonna lie. I went up to my room and cried. Ok, maybe not, but I was a little "put off" by her selfish behavior! ;o)

So, it's a week, and they're cute and getting chunky!!! They were SOOO tiny and fragile at birth... it's nice to see them putting on weight! Ok, here ya go... the pics!

Ok, they're backwards. They start with tonight at one week of age!

Emma kissing "Franky" a couple of days ago.

Brooklyn holding "Franky" the other day

Brenna & "Nathan"

This was tonight...

This was their "birth" day

Porkchops & Appleshawsh Recipe

Well, it's not actually applesauce, but there are apples involved. And let me just say - right up front - this is not a figure-friendly recipe! Unless, of course, you don't mind your figure going out and not in!

The second and third things that you need to know about this recipe are that 1) it's SOooooo fast & easy to whip up and B) it's sooooooooo yummay! And let's face it... anything TTM (This Tired Mom) can fix that has superb taste & is super easy to make... winner, winner, winner! This is monumentally ahead of Mac & Cheese or KFC or Burgers in terms of taste and is just as simple to fix! I'm not makin' this up... you can even ask my BFF (yes, I just used that acronym) Sayrah. (I'd totally give you her contact info, but I don't think she'd appreciate that.)

So here it is!

*The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to 375 degrees! Do it first or else your dish will be prepared & just waiting for the oven to heat up! I mean it! This dish is THAT fast!























Cast of Characters:
*9x13 pan
*cooking spray or some other type of greasing/buttering/non-sticking method
*foil
*canned apple pie filling (notice the orange stickers on top! $1.30 on sale - SCORE!)
*pork chops
*stuffing (flavor of your choice - I used Pork)

*Prepare your stuffing as directed on the box. Since TTM is all about the ease of things, I used the microwave method.

*I used 2 boxes of stuffing. I could have gone with 1, but I needed enough for leftovers the next night.

*While this is in the microwave - or on the stove for all the overacheivers out there - you can do the next two steps.



*Empty the apple pie filling into your sprayed/rubbed/greased baking dish.

*Seeing as how LM (Lovin' Man) is also a hard-working man, one can just wasn't going to cut it... we normally use 2 cans.

*After getting the second can in there, I added a 3rd! Hey, at $1.30 ea, we could afford to use the 3rd can! Plus, it assured more for the leftovers!




*Place the porkchops on top of the apple pie filling.

*I like to get boneless chops from Costco. They're more cost effective and they do us well!

*I seasoned them with some salt & pepper. Sometimes, if I have more time and I'm feeling rather June Cleaverish, I'll sear the chops before this step, however, last night wasn't one of those times.


*Spread the stuffing over the top of the chops & cover with foil!
*Bake @ 375 for **40 minutes, removing the foil after 30 minutes. This allows the stuffing to get crispy on top! The apples will be oozing out the top of the stuffing. (I now need to clean out my stove!)
**Seeing as how I used MORE stuffing and apples than a normal sized dish, I let mine cook for 60 minutes! I wanted to make sure the chops had enough time to get cooked through. If you're one to take a temp, they should reach 160 degrees!



*Here's the finished product. Man, was it good!

*I hope this recipe might help some other Tired Moms out there!





*Yes, those are canned string beans... and?

Conversations with Red

Scene: This Tired Mom & her adorable middle child, "Red" are standing at the bathroom sink. Hair is being parted. Spray gel is being sprayed. Hair is being beautified two minutes before needing to leave for Church on Sunday morning.

Red: Mom, are you gonna be my kids grandma?
TTM (This Tired Mom): Yes, I am
Red: Who's going to be their grandpa?
TTM: Uh, Daddy is, silly.
Red: *giggle* Daddy is going to be their grandpa?
TTM: Well, yeah! Who else would be?
*silence*
Red: Well, we're gonna live in this house, Mom.
TTM: You are, huh?
Red: Yeah. When I'm a teenager and I have ki-
TTM:Um, wait a minute. You don't have babies when you're a teenager. You have to be married.
Red: *listening*
LM(Loving Man): *pipes in from other room in big, booming man-voice* YOU CAN ONLY HAVE BABIES WHEN YOU'RE 25! OR OLDER! *His tone seems to insinuate it must be obeyed and any other answer is unacceptable*
TTM: *continuing as if LM's proclamation had been nothing more than a whisper on the wind* As long as you're married, and you and/or your husband have enough money to take care of your baby then it's OK to have babies.
Red: seemingly accepting to this instruction. "We're gonna live here, though, Mom."
LM: YOU'RE GOING TO LIVE HERE WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND KIDS?! ALL IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH US?
Red: Ignoring LM
TTM: Where are Mommy and Daddy going to live?
Red: In another house.
TTM: You're going to make us move out so you can live in our house?
Red: Uh huh!
silence... TTM is letting her theory sink in.
TTM: Wait a minute... are you going to put us in an old folks home?!?!
Red: giggle AND a nod. UH HUH!

Lord, help us!

Watching and Watiting

Pretty soon there are going to be some changes around here...

We know approximately when they will be taking place...

But for now, we're just watching....

Watching and waiting...

... waiting....

... and watching.

Tucker is taking it all in stride...

... but Ginger remains ever vigilant... just a-watching & a-waiting!

Lookin' back - Emma Edition

Emma is 18 months old!
What is she up to now?!

She weighs 23.8lbs & depending on whose shoes she's wearing, she's averaging 30 inches long... er, high.

She wears an 18 - 24 month pant, 24 mos - 2t Tops & dresses.

Emma is in a size 4 diaper.

She loves to...
...play outside
...ride horses
...chase her sisters
...jump on the trampoline... or Daddy
...go bye-bye.

She also loves...
...her paci
...avocados
...SHOES
...chocolate milk
...her blanky(ies)
...bananas
...shoes
...her sissies
...Mommy & Daddy
... did I mention her shoes?

Emma has 5 teeth with 3 on the horizon!

She is down to one nap in the afternoons and is still sleeping through the night! (Hallelujah!)

Although sometimes she's a little hard to understand, her vocabulary is expanding! Her current word bank consists of...
...Ma (usually yelled)
...Da, Daddy
...Tucker
...Gigi (Ginger)
...peesh(please - which she also signs)
...baybee
...ewwww (my personal favorite!)

She also makes certain noises for her "paci" and food! Mommy thinks that being the youngest of 3 has something to do with Emma's obvious disdain for talking. Why talk when Mommy and Sissies have you all figured out?!

Mommy is glad that Emma has turned out to be a happy and healthy girl!!! Emma can bring a smile to our faces a thousand times a day! She seems to be on a more "average" growth chart than her big sissies and can be quite the Sassy Susan! However, Mommy & Daddy are loving every minute of it and can't believe how fast time is going by!

I've posted quite a few pictures from the past 18 months... *sniffle sniffle*


3/10/08 - 6 lbs, 10 ounces (1/2 ounce heavier than Brooklyn)
I was SO sure she was going to be a bigger baby. I kept saying,
"I can't believe she's so tiny!"

Proud Sissy Brooklyn

Brenna is finally a big sister!

Daddy had the flu when Emma was born!

Just minutes after she was born!
I can feel my ovaries itchin'!

A quiet moment with Mommy

Cuddled in the blankie that Auntie Kell made!

The Elvis Yawn

The infamous long toes - Mommy thinks shes grown into them now!

About 6 weeks

Gettin' ready to talk to Brenna

I just love this pic of her on the pillow... so tiny!

Wearing Momma's very first headband!

Father's Day 08

A rare happy baby at this point... I was so thrilled to snap some smiley pics!

2 mos old at the Fair

First taste of food!

Loungin' with Ginger

6 months old!

Wearing the beginning of what would become Momma's crochet obsession

Halloween 08

November/December 08

January 09

Red cupcakes - practicing for birthday!

Her 1 year b'day photo

March 09 - 1 year old!

One of the saddest/pics that I love

Water fun!

Jumpin' girl

Loves the water so much she fell asleep

My happy girl!

18 months old - still attached to that paci!

Riding Gigi

My big girl!

Lovin' her monkey

Sittin' pretty!