Oh What A Life

It's been quite a while since I wrote on here and 1 of my New Years Resolutions is to get my ducks back into that row.  They have strayed, and I have let them.  No more.  Ducks, Beware!

So where did I leave off...oh yes...Thanksgiving.  We shall start there. 
Thanksgiving was wonderful!  We hosted at our house this year and I didn't really know how much I missed hosting parties until this day.  My birthday party was great this summer, but it sure left a few things in my mind that I had forgotten to do or prepare for, so Thanksgiving was a great redemption opportunity.  And I think we pulled it off!  There was enough food for a small army, there was enough family for just about anyone to handle, and there was enough Scotch to go around. I think the highlight of the day was the deer hanging in the garage by sundown. 

Then we celebrated a birthday on December 6.  Mariah is an old hag :)  Turning 17 was celebrated of course with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake. 
Aria also turned 16 on the same day.  Is it wierd that my daughter is older than my sister?  I think it's funny when Ry calls Aria "Auntie", that makes my insides giggly.

Then, on the 8th I had the long awaited Bladder Sling installed.  And this day was not without event.  I think I shall save this for another post topic. 
Christmas Holidays are finally done for.  We made a few trips to MN to celebrate with our friends and family up there.  We got to see most everyone we intended on, but of course missed a few, that's the way it always goes.  Addie says her favorite present was her basketball.  Now she just needs a new concrete driveway and a hoop.  She is her Grandfathers Granddaughter!!

In January, Addie turned 11.  She is also an old had :)  I don't like that the girls are getting older and becoming little women, and I tell them that.  But alas, it does me no good. 

I think that will be the update for now.  There are of course a few things in there that really are wonderful stories, and I will share them at a later date. 

Cyber Monday (Tina K Style)

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday~  there's always a good reason to shop!

Let me entice you with some FABULOUS Cyber Monday deals that will rival those seen on Black Friday and will also help you support Small Business Saturday.

On Black Friday I was at a Vendor Fair displaying my Thirty~One goodies and also added a line of products to my At Home Party line of things I love and need to peddle. 

So, here are my deals:
READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END FOR THE REALLY GOOD STUFF!!

Thirty~One:
visit my Thirty~One site (www.mythirtyone.com/99114) and place any $31 order (don't forget the fantastic Customer Special when you spend the $31, get one of the Cinch Sac, Flat Iron Case, Soft Wallet, All in One Organizer or the Zip Up Pencil Pouch for ONLY $5!

Perfectly Posh:
Perfectly Posh (www.perfectlyposh.us/365) is running a recruiting special right now, thru midnight, sign up to be on my team for only $79!!  That is a $20 savings and trust me, people want this stuff!! 

My Personal Sales:
Thirty~One:  Qualifying orders must be at least $31 in retail dollars (not including shipping or tax)

Place an online order before 6pm and I will send you a coupon good for 1 Half Price Item in the Month of February!! + get in on the 10pm AND Midnight bonuses!!
(Coupon sent to you once your order ships via US Mail)

Place an online order before 10 pm and I will send you a coupon good for 15% off any item in the Month of January + get in on the Midnight Bonus!!
(Coupon sent to you once your order ships via US Mail, coupon only good thru me)

Place an online order before Midnight and I will send you a reimbursement check for your Shipping Cost!!(Check sent to you once your order ships via US Mail, coupon only good thru me)

So...realistically, if you place an online order now (before 6pm CST) for a minimum of $31, you will be receiving in the mail from me:
A Coupon for 1 Half Price item in the month of February
A Coupon for 15% off any item in the month of January
Your Shipping Reimbursement Check

As if that weren't good enough, don't forget I also signed up to share Perfectly Posh!

Perfectly Posh is a new line of Pampering Products.  Indulgent and fun- all made with the very best ingredients.  All items are made in the USA and are Gluten, Paraben, Animal Product & SLS - FREE!!!

Here is the Deal on the Perfectly Posh site:  Qualifying orders must be at least $30 in retail dollars (not including shipping or tax)

Place an online order before 6pm and I will send you a coupon good for 1 Bombinator Bath Ball (Choose from 3 flavors) + get in on the 10pm AND Midnight bonuses!!
(Coupon sent to you once your order ships via US Mail)

Place an online order before 10 pm and I will send you a coupon good for 1 LipShot Balm (Choose from 2 flavors) + get in on the Midnight Bonus!!
(Sent to you once your order ships via US Mail, coupon only good thru me)

Place an online order before Midnight and I will send you a reimbursement check for your Shipping Cost!!(Sent to you once your order ships via US Mail, coupon only good thru me)

Helping me start my Perfectly Posh business before 6 pm (CST) will net you:
A Coupon for 1 Bath Bombinator
A Coupon for 1 LipShot Lip Balm
Your Shipping Reimbursement Check

So What Are You Waiting For??

GET SHOPPING!!

And don't forget to call me and schedule your parties!  I can help you de-compress from the holidays and organize your newly-filled homes!

www.mythirtyone.com/99114

www.perfectlyposh.us/365

Being Thankful

Sitting here, I am thinking about how I have seen so many challenges in my friends lives lately.  And I've seen some in my own, nobody's perfect.
But it really makes me think about what I have and reminds me to be thankful.
And appreciate what is in my life.

Today, I think I will share what I am Thankful for:

-A Home -
I am thankful to have a place to call home.  I am thankful that the roof over my head is solid.  I am thankful that my home is large enough to hold guests.  I am thankful that the house I live in, is slowly becoming a warm, welcoming and inviting home.  Not because we are unwelcoming people, but because we are filling it with homey, cozy, and comforting things and memories.  

- A Vehicle -
I have had the same vehicle now for going on 6 years.  This is pretty much a record for me.  I think because I bought it new, I didn't inherit any 'issues' or 'character'.  It was all acquired on my own!  I am thankful that said vehicle starts every morning when I want to leave.  I am thankful that it is large enough to carry my children to their various activities.  I am thankful that it is small enough to get ridiculous gas mileage.  I am thankful for the Character she has acquired over the last 6 years.  Nothing fancy like my old cars (no ashtray that is stored under the drivers seat, no garbage bags over any of the windows, no duck tape...anywhere, wipers that work, brakes that work, and a transmission that works!)

- A Job -
Now everyone has gripes about thier job.  Don't get me wrong, I definately have my gripes just like everyone else.  And I know everyone always says, "You should be grateful to have a job to go to".  And I am.  But I am also very grateful to work for the company that I do.  There is a lot to be said for Employee Appreciation.  And GE is great at it.  It is wonderful to be rewarded for a job well done.  And by rewarded, I actually mean rewarded.  Movie days, Lunches, Gift Cards, Game days...all of these things (and a few more) are things I get to do, courtesy of the wonderful company I work for.  But they are not just given away either, we all must work towards these rewards.  And working well is what we do.

- Children -
As I typed this, I was thinking to myself, "what the hell are you thinking?!"  But, really, I am grateful to have children.  There are so many people who want to and just can't.  I truly am Thankful that I was able to produce 1 of my own and inherit another. 
I am not so grateful for all the heartache and headache that go along with them sometimes.  But on the same coin, I am grateful that I do have the heartache and headache that go along with them.  If I didn't have that, I wouldn't have children.  How on earth I was blessed with such a wonderful daughter is beyond me, and now I have 2, and I love them both dearly.  Even when they are lazy, even when they talk back, even when they push the limits and even when I want to strangle them.  I am Thankful for them.  And love them more than chicken.

- Pets -
Yes.  Pets.  I've never really been one for "Furry Animals".  So when I got a cat for Addie, this was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone.  And when I met Deron, he had a stinky, old, bad-mannered dog.  And I hated him.  Like not even really disliked, but really hated. In fact, at one point, I told him "It's me or the dog!"  He simply smiled and said "You'll learn to love him"  and I did.  Brew was there for me through some very difficult times and I was able to have that unconditional love and companionship that he so freely offers.  And I love him very much.  I love all of our pets, but Brew will always have a special place, cause he broke me.
We also have our very own Jake (above mentioned cat) back at our house now and couldn't be more happy about it. 

-My Health-
There are so many people fighting for their health, and fighting for their lives.  And I'm not.  I am in relatively good health, no big issues.  And for that I am thankful.  I am grateful to wake up every morning, and I am thankful that I am able to take in great big breaths and walk and talk and use my limbs.  I think this is the thing that most of us take for granted.  Watching people wilt away is heartwreching.  Thank you God, for letting me wake up today, and face the day.

Some Truths I've Learned

You know how there is "Something to be learned" in every day?
Well, here are a few things I've learned:

1 - It doesn't matter if you set the Peanut Butter cups in my line of vision or not.  I will find them and I will eat them.  All of them.

2 - If you ask me to do something for you, the best way to ensure it gets done is to remind me every few hours.

3 - When I put on pants, if I have to jump up and down like a goomba to pull them over my hips, they most likely will not close.  So the whole jumping up and down thing, is just for exercise.

4 - When I stick my hand out the window of the car, and wave it in the wind...you know, like when you were a kid and your hand would 'ride the wave' of air...yeah, it makes my Chicken Wings flap.  I quit doing that.

5 - Stick with something if you really want it.  When you stumble down a stair, you get back up and continue to walk down the rest.  Not throw yourself down the remaining stairs.  Don't let a bad day, or a derailing event get you down.  Get back up and walk down the rest of the freaking stairs. 

Organizing Utility Tote ~Yes, You Need One!!

If there is 1 product in the Thirty~One catalog that I recommend to EVERYONE at every party, it would be the Organinzing Utility Tote...and wouldn't ya know it, it's the October Special!!

Having issues with the uploading of pictures...I still don't really know how to work this Blog thing...Aaannnyyywaaaaays....it is very versitile.  I have seen it used as:
Gym Bag
Diaper Bag
Cleaning Supplies
Emergency (natural disaster) Kit
First Aid Kit
Car Activity Pack
Laundromat Pack
Beach Bag
Family Fun Night Kit
Gardening Gear
...and many, many more!

Time is running out to get this wonderful item at such a low price.  The October special only runs thru Monday, October 31.  Check these out on my website http://www.mythirtyone.com/99114/ or send me a message via Facebook, email (tmkelly1981@gmail.com), or call / text me (319-651-0761) to get your order placed before time runs out.  These make wonderful gifts as well!!

Available in 10 patterns (check them out on my website http://www.mythirtyone.com/99114/)
Black
Black Parisian Pop
Black Tailored Stripe
Circle Spirals
Garden Bloom
Harvest Floral
Paparazzi Dot
Pin Dots
Windsor Bouquet
Winter Wonderland

As always, personalization is available for only $7 more!!

Fried Green Tomatoes

I made fried green tomatoes yesterday for Deron's Grandparents, and they were delicious.  I LOVE fried green tomatoes, the food.  But, I also love the movie. 

Does anyone else remember that movie? With Kathy Bates and Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary Louise Parker and Jessica Tandy (who you are never really sure if she is Idgy Threadgood or not even though her name is Ninny!)

I remember when it first came out, I was 10.  Me and Alicia thought it was the best movie ever, not really sure why, cause at 10, that's a pretty heavy movie.  We watched it all the time.  Maybe because we taped it (hahaha, remember having to "Tape" something....ahhhh, the days before DVR!) off of HBO, that made it cooler or something.  We used to love those free preview weekends.  If we had cable, cause sometimes we didn't, we never had more than just basic, so those free weekends were like Heaven!  Anyways, we watched it so many times, the video tape wore out. 

And....my kids both love this movie and will watch it anytime it's on TV.  So, I think it's just the movie, not the fact that we thought we were cool.  Although we were. 

So many things have been bringing back some wonderful memories for me lately.  And, this is why we are reliving this time of my life.

I remember Alicia and I would play 'restaurant' all the time.  It was always called The Whistlestop Cafe, and we served Fried Green Tomatoes.  Except that I think we really served cereal and spagettio's and just thought we were master chefs.  I do remember that we used to say, just like in the movie, The Secret's In The Sauce!  That was why our spagettio's were far superior to any others you had previously tasted. 

I also remember other times, we served tuna salad sandwiches, Macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and scrambled eggs.  And now I think about that....what the hell was my Mom thinking!!!  I don't even trust my mostly grown kids in the kitchen to make Ramens and she was letting us make halfway gourmet meals!!  It's probably because back in our day, we were responsible and diligent and aware of our surroundings.  Kids today are irresponsible, forgetful and just in general spacey.  I'm just kidding, my kids aren't ....oh wait...

Anyways, getting off track.  So, these memories that have been flooding me lately are good memories and bad memories and in between memories.  But they are all memories.  And I have to remind myself that everything that happens in your life, makes you who you are.  Whether they be good events, bad events, or just plain old events, it's shaped me into the person that I am today.  And all except for about 3 days a month, I'm a pretty awesome person. 

A friend said this to me last week, and I love it...take it with you:
"I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh but never thought looking back on the laughs would make me cry"

Here's to making more memories, and reminicing on the old ones...Cheers!

Nummy, Nummy Jambalaya (and good for you too!)

Discovered a DELICIOUS recipe this weekend, and I just have to share. 
If you like Jambalaya, you will love this!

1 lb cubed, cooked Chicken breasts
1 lb sliced, cooked Sausage.  (the recipe called for spicy andouie, but I used a turkey sausage ring instead)
1 lb cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 large tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used a whole green and half a yellow...don't tell Deron!!)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
2 bay leaves
2 Cups cooked or 1 cup uncooked brown rice

Combine all ingredients except rice in Crock Pot.
Heat on High for 3 hours.
At 3 hours:
Either serve over the 2 cups cooked rice
OR
add in the 1 cup uncooked rice. 
If adding rice, cook on low heat for an additional 30 minutes. 
We added it in and it was even better the second day. 

Twas delicious!!  And my family ate vegetables...YAY!!