Homemade Pumpkin Bread...

...every year, Matt's mom and sister always make a homemade pumpkin pie and it tastes delicious! Every year, I say that I'm going to do it too...and I never do. Once pumpkin season started this year, I again, swore I was going to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. I've found the recipe I'm going to use, we've got 4 pumpkins on the porch so the weekend after Halloween, watch out-it's pie time!

 

I decided I better start small though and decided I'd try some homemade pumpkin bread first. I used the pumpkin AR decorated at Liz's party. Don't worry, we peeled off the decorations and moved them to another pumpkin.

 

By the time I thought to get the camera out, this was where I was in the process. The pumpkin had already been baked and the batter poured into the bread pans.

About an hour and a couple bites later, this is what we had!

AR sampling...

"Yah, Mommy! Good job!" Clapping for mommy before signing more!

Matt was also a big fan and luckily, between the two of them, they ate it fast enough that it didn't mess up my diet too much! I followed the directions from here. Now on to the recipe!

 

Ingredients

3.5 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

3 cups sugar (or Stevia or Splenda)

1.5 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

2 cups fresh cooked pumpkin or one 16 oz canned pumpkin

Water Note: 1/2 cup if you are using fresh cooked pumpkin or 2/3 cup water if you are using canned

4 eggs (note for vegans (or really anyone): Each egg can be replaced by 1 tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Bread takes about 15 minutes longer and is a bit more dense.

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

 

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350 F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and sugar.

3. Add the eggs, water, oil and pumpkin.

4. Stir until blended. Then add raisins/nuts.

5. Pour into two lightly greased and floured loaf pans. Or, use muffin pans if you want muffins.

6. Bake about 1 hour.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

9. Take loaves out of pans to cool.

10. Devour!!!

 

Notes

*I guess I should tell you about the pumpkin, huh? It was super easy! I cut it in half, cleaned out the seeds and put the cut side down on a baking sheet. Then I covered it with aluminum foil, popped it in the oven at 350 and cooked for about an hour. When it was done, I let it cool then scooped out the insides. You were supposed to puree it but I forgot so I just mixed it in. It didn't make a difference but when I make the pie, I'll definitely puree.

*I think I used too much allspice. I only had whole allspice so I had to smash it up. It was just a bit strong in the bread but not too strong that it ruined it.

*I only used 2 eggs then I did 2 tablespoons of flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water. It did take a few minutes longer but you couldn't tell a difference in taste.

*I poured the batter into the pans then added nuts to one loaf.

 

Definitely a keeper recipe and baking pumpkin isn't nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be! Now, let's hope the pie goes as well! Happy Halloween!!!

"The Carnival of Death" Audio Book Review...

...If you're looking for a spooky read and want to jump every time you get out of your car, you need to check out "The Carnival of Death" by L. Ron Hubbard as an audio book.

Summary:
"Working deep undercover to break up a purported drug ring operating at Shreve's Mammoth Carnival, US narcotics agent Bob Clark discovers first one and then another headless body. Others believe the gruesome murders are solved after four tribal headhunters working for the show suddenly disappear, but Clark suspects someone else is the real killer. When he finds himself seized by the very same headhunters, Clark sincerely hopes his hunch is right, since the point of a very sharp knife is aimed at his neck! ALSO INCLUDES THE MYSTERY STORY THE DEATH FLYER.

Discover intrigue and suspense. Working deep undercover to break up a purported drug ring operating at Shreve's Mammoth Carnival, US narcotics agent Bob Clark discovers first one and then another headless body. Others believe the gruesome murders are solved after four tribal headhunters working for the show suddenly disappear, but Clark suspects someone else is the real killer. When he finds himself seized by the very same headhunters, Clark sincerely hopes his hunch is right, since the point of a very sharp knife is aimed at his neck!"

Review:
Definitely a thriller with mystery involved. Listening to it on CD, it definitely kept me on edge since I listened to most of it on my early, dark morning drives to work. There were a lot of characters to keep up with which, at times, made it difficult to follow. It was still a good, creepy, easy read that got me into the Halloween spirit!

Infertility by the Doctor...

...as you all know, Matt and I struggled to get pregnant and after one failed IVF, we got pregnant with AR after transferring three little totsicles. While I'm a mom now and, more than likely, won't be doing any more fertility treatments, it's a chapter of my life that I won't forget and I want to help other women going through the same sort of issues. With that being said, I recruited my favorite RE, Dr. Kenan Omurtag, to help do a Q&A post from the doctor's perspective but in terms that we can all understand.

Dr. Omurtag is an amazing doctor with an excellent bedside, or in my case Twitter-side, manner. He has recently joined the team at Washington University and writes for his own blog. Dr. Omurtag can be seen tweeting by the name of stlinfertility. He's accepting new patients. If we were to do more treatments, Dr. O would be stuck with me. :-) Here he is with AR when she was only three months old! A big thank you to Dr. O for helping me out, and hopefully, some readers out there, too.

First, tell us about yourself and how you decided to be an RE.
I was always interested in women's health and helping couples conceive always seemed very rewarding to me. While in medical school I enjoyed that RE's operated, and spent most time in clinic talking about reproduction.

What is your fertility specialty?
I like working with couples dealing with male factor infertility as well as endometriosis.

How did you become interested in it?
I think I gravitated to male factor infertility because I am a guy and because there is still a poor understanding of the sperm's role in infertility and RPL. We have good reason to believe that much of the common causes of infertility are related to female factors, but sperm probably plays more of a role than we think. I suspect that by the end of my career we will view male factor infertility differently then we do today. IN just the last 20 years are options for treating male factor infertility have changed dramatically with the first use of ICSI in 1993.

What is your definition of infertility (not the text book definition)? (See below.) A couple or individual who wants to conceive and cannot after trying an appropriate length of time.

When should a couple visit a fertility specialist?
When a couple has been having unprotected intercourse for 12 months without pregnancy they should seek out assistance from a fertility specialist. If the woman is > age 35 they should see a specialist after trying for 6 months. This is in response to the age related decline in fertility and meant to initiate a work up and intervene sooner rather than later as age can be limiting. Regardless of age, if a women has irregular menses, she should seek medical attention after 6 months of unprotected intercourse.

What are the most common reasons that patients visit an RE (i.e. male infertility, endometriosis, age, etc…)?
The most common reason for infertility is some type of ovulatory dysfunction (irregular periods, I.e not releasing an egg consistently every month). Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common cuase of ovulatory dysfunction but that diagnosis can be "thrown around" too loosely. It is important to ask your OBGYN what criteria they are using to diagnose PCOS. I typically use the NIH definition: irregular periods and elevated signs of male hormone.

If a couple is coming to visit you for the first time, what should they expect to take away from the first appointment?
Admittedly, I can sometimes bombard people with too much information. My goal is to have a conversation with my patients and provide answers to their questions without lecturing them. I typically go over their history and then go over any necessary diagnostic testing and then I review treatment options. Typically I will provide all information but often times I will meet with the patient again after they have completed the initial work up. I try to touch on most treatment concepts in the first visit.

Do tightie whites vs boxers really make a difference?
Everyone always asks this, but the reality is that while it may show some effect on sperm motiliy it is unlikely contributing to anything clinical. Read another way: switching from briefs to boxers is not going to be help a man with low counts father a child.
Hot tubs?
Unless the guy spends hours a day in the hot tub, this is unlikely to be damaging.

How much caffeine is too much caffeine when TTC?
I would limit my self to 8 ozs/day.

When doing IUI, what are the average success rates?
Depends on age of the woman and the underlying indication for the treatment. Succss rates are measured in cycle fecund ability which is the probability of pregnancy in a given month. The average human being has a cycle fecund ability of 20% which over the course of 1 year = pregnancy in 85% of couples: hence why we recommend seeing an infertility specialist if not pregnant after 1 year. Again, this number is a moving target and depends on the patient and the medication used with IUI.

How many eggs are typically released during an IUI?
Depends on the medication used and the indication, but can be 1 or more.

When doing IVF, what is the average success rate?
Again depends on above. I recommend your readers look at SART.org to get average success rates for the country. We are a SART member clinic. SART is the society of assisted reproductive technologies. Not all clinics are SART members. What is a good number of eggs for egg retrieval? Depends depends depends…on the patient, her history, etc. This is such an individualized number that I will refrain from even stating one:)

Is there a goal number you like to retrieve? Out of the eggs retrieved, how many typically make it to embryo retrieval?
Another tough question and one I would defer to the reader's treating REI. While most mature eggs will be fertilized, not all will continue to grow.

At what point as a doctor, do you feel like a couple shouldn’t do any more treatments? This is the single most difficult thing as a fertility specialist. It is a moving target and different for everyone. My goal is to try and help guide patients to what is best and sometimes that is stopping treatments and looking at alternatives.

How do you tell them this?
It doesn't happen in one visit that is for sure. It is process. It is very difficult because we feel like we failed our patients if they don't conceive with our treatments. Its hard for physicians to stare their patients in the eye and tell them "I am out of options." Fortunately, while it happens it is still rare.

This is just a small introduction into infertility and the world surrounding it. If you have more questions, please leave a comment and I can pass them on to Dr. O or feel free to tweet him. Thanks again, Dr. O!

STL Transportation Museum...

...the morning of the Great Pumpkin Festival, AR and I went to the STL Transportation Museum. I had bought a Groupon for $8 which included admission for 2 and train rides for 2. I paid an additional $4 for Creation Station so I spent a total $12 for our outing.

First things first, we went to Creation Station. They had this school bus that you could walk up the stairs then drive the bus or go down a slide. This is where AR spent the majority of her time. She LOVED it...can you tell? 

Of course they had train tables, quite a few of them! AR liked this one but she got so mad at this bridge. Her train would get stuck in it and it took her awhile to figure out how to get it out. I thought trains were a boy thing but my little girl really loves the train table.

This was the reading corner. I told her to get a book for Mommy to read and when she turned around to look at me, this is what I got. Silly goose!

This pen was magnetic and you could move balls around with it. AR was very intrigued by this and played here for awhile. She wasn't too keen on sharing any of the three with the two boys in the background but I finally got her to just play and not worry about those. Creation Station was a good deal! $2 per person for an hour of play and there were tons of things to do in there plus crafts. 

Then we went on the miniature train ride. It's $4 per person I think over 12 months. The best part is that it's unlimited rides! I thought the thing went pretty fast as you can see from AR's hair here and she loved it. There were random trains and planes that they give you history as you ride. There's also a separate building with more trains you can go see.

Here's AR with the conductor! I was pretty proud of her in this picture with that huge smile. Lately, she's all about mommy so I wasn't sure how she'd react but she did awesome.

Mommy and AR with the train behind us

There's a big, full size train on display in front which AR loved. She liked watching the little train go by us outside. She loved sitting on the stairs and going up and down. She really liked this place!

Then as we left, we passed Gypsy Rose, a boat on wheels with pirates! Here's AR with her sword protecting her Cheerios!

I thought it was a great time and the weather was perfect. It was very small but I liked that because there weren't a ton of people there. Honestly though, if we didn't do Creation Station then there wouldn't have been a whole lot for us to do so it's a definite must if you take the kids there. Since I didn't have to pay for admission for her but had bought the Groupon for 2, they gave me a free pass with no expiration which I wasn't expecting so that was a nice surprise.

 

The Groupon was an awesome deal. If I'd paid for everything, it would have been $20 vs the $12 I paid plus free pass to come back again. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for this deal again!

Hot Chocolate 15k/5k Race Entry Giveaway!!!

...remember when I posted that I was running for chocolate and then later when I announced that I was a Hot Chocolate Blogger? One of the perks of being a Hot Chocolate Blogger is that I get to give away one free entry to a lucky reader! You can use it for ANY race they offer so don't think just because you don't live in STL that you can't enter.

First off, let's recap the race info, shall we? The race in STL is on December 15. You can choose your distance: 15k or 5k. You get a sweet wicking fleece hoodie for participating in addition to lots and lots of chocolate! Did I mention chocolate fondue at the finish line? I can't wait to eat that Rice Krispie treat with some chocolate!

Lots of people dress up for the race...

I just plan to dress warm!

Look at that awesome hoodie-I can't wait to wear mine!

This giveaway will open at midnight Monday, October 28 and close at midnight Friday, November 1. I will email the winner by Monday, November 4. Be sure to follow the Hot Chocolate Run on Facebook and Twitter. Good luck and happy running!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CollageIt 3 Pro For Mac Halloween Giveaway...

** * Time Limited Offer - 70% OFF! * * * Click on the link for an opportunity to enter to win a free CollageIt 3 Pro. The app is Free on App Store from Oct. 29 at 0:00 CST to Oct. 31 at 24:00 CST.

CollageIt Pro is an easy-to-use and automatic app that helps you create eye-catching photo collages on Mac OS X. It was designed to give everyone an opportunity to brighten up one's photo collection, and in a few seconds, a set of photos will be turned into an impressive array of collages.

With CollageIt Pro, collage creation is effortless. Choose a template from 4 collage styles - Mosaic, Grid, Center and Pile (including 45+ brand new templates), add photos and text, and the photo collages can be generated automatically. You can also switch to Free Mode to manually edit the collage as you wish. What’s more, apply photo effects, text effects, border and shadow to make sure the collage gets its best look. After your master piece is finished, you can export it, print it or share it on Facebook or via Email with family and friends.

-----------------------------------------------
HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES
-----------------------------------------------
* New Features in 3.0
• 45+ brand new templates.
• Added Free Mode to edit collage freely.
• Zooming of editing area.
• Added 20+ photo effects and many text effects.
• Added border of round corners.
• Share collage directly on Facebook.

* Automatic, Easy to Use and Powerful
• Only three steps you’ll create photo collage automatically; easy enough for users of all experienced levels.
• Realtime preview with a super speed.
• Large photo capacity supports adding up to 200 photos.
• Maximum collage size can reach 40”× 40”.

* Various Templates to Choose
• Supports 4 collage styles - Mosaic, Grid, Center and Pile.
• Includes 45+ brand new templates in total.

* Personalize Photo Collage Freely
• Click Random Layout to generate various collage layouts continuously.
• Switch to Free Mode to move, resize, and rotate each photo manually.
• Apply photo border and shadow for decoration.
• Crop photos so that they fit well in the collage space.
• Apply photo effects/filters to beautify your collage.
• Add text – resize; rotate; apply shadow & abundant text effects such as Stroke, Glow, and Background to make your text stand out.
• Choose from 50+ background patterns, or load your own image as background to suit your collage.

* Share the Collage Anywhere
• Save the collage as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, or GIF, etc. image format and print it out.
• Send the collage to family and friends via Email.
• Set the collage as desktop wallpaper.
• Save the collage as a PDF file.
• Share the collage directly on Facebook.
• Save the collage as project and open it for further editing.

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

"Have You Ever Wondered About Angels?" Children's Book Review...

...With Christmas coming sooner than I can imagine, I was recently perusing through Amazon trying to come up with gift ideas for AR. Right now, AR is loving books and reading. Every night after dinner, she crawls up in my chair with me and for 30 minutes, we read the same 6 or 7 books. As much as I love to chugga chugga choo choo, I would welcome some new books in our collection.

 

I came across a book titled "Have You Ever Wondered About Angels?" I contacted the author, Chris Alexandria, and asked if I might be able to check it out. I'm so thankful we have a new book in our collection!

As Chris and I were emailing, it turns out that she used to live in my town. What a small world! When we got the book, we immediately opened it up and started reading. Chris had even autographed it for us!

The book addresses questions that kids have about angels...their wings, how they fly, if they sleep and my favorite, how angels speak to you.

Before we started reading, AR had to check it out...upside down!

Then she settled in on my lap and while I read, she turned the pages like the big girl she's becoming.

The pictures kept her attention and she pointed at different things in the picture saying, "What's that?"

The last few pages talks about how angels speak to you. This was my favorite part! It says that a white feather is a sign they are around you or when you see groups of 4. It even had this phrase for you to repeat when you need angels around you.

I definitely give this book 5/5 stars! It was just the right length for the younger kids attention span and the pictures were beautifully illustrated. You can find more about this book at Angel Chatter where you can purchase this book and look at the shop full of other items. Thank you, Chris, for allowing me to review your awesome book!

"The Concrete Kiss" Book Review...

...I'm going to make an embarrassing admission here. I haven't read a book since I was on maternity leave! How bad is that? Luckily, I was recently given the opportunity to read and review the book "The Concrete Kiss" by David Grace. It was also the first book I've ever read on my Nook!

Summary:

"Homicide Detective Ned Danes discovers that an ambitious Deputy D.A. has concealed evidence of an accused murderer's innocence in order to secure a headline-grabbing conviction. Danes torpedoes the corrupt Deputy D.A.'s case, and for his honesty, Danes is exiled to the tiny, basement office of the Cold Case Squad.

Working in his forgotten outpost Danes becomes obsessed with finding the real killer whom the Deputy D.A.’s scheme has allowed to run free. But, just as he seems to be closing in, Danes receives a plea for help from an old friend.

FBI agent Phillip Abbott has been put on leave for his last sixty days before his forced retirement. He has that long to catch a drug-cartel hit man whose specialty is murdering entire families. Completely alone, Abbott needs a courageous cop like Ned Danes to back him up.

While Danes knows that Abbott has a seventeen-year-old adopted daughter, it is only after Danes agrees to help Abbott catch the killer that he discovers that the hit man murdered the girl’s entire family. Abbott promised her that he would get the monster no matter what it took and Danes soon learns that Abbott is willing to do anything, including breaking the law and possibly going to prison, to keep that promise.

And after Danes and Abbot do all that, Ned still has a killer of his own to catch."

Review:

The book started off a little slow. The first main conflict was solved fairly quickly. It seemed like there were a lot of side stories that were eventually all tied together. You really had to stay on your toes to make sure that you were keeping everything straight. I did enjoy how it gave you different perspectives from all the different characters. The title was finally tied into everything in the last couple chapters.

I enjoyed the book and would give it 4 out of 5 stars. There was lots of action and characters to follow so it was easy to keep reading. I would've liked there to have been more follow-up with the characters after all the bad guys were caught. This book could have potentially been made into two books. I also think this would make a great series following all the cold cases.

You can find David's book on Amazon or Smashwords.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Chocolate Check-In Week 8...

...7 more weeks until the Hot Chocolate 5k!

Friday, October 18-Arm workout at bootcamp followed by a 2 mile run in 23:50!
 

Saturday, October 19-My MIL watched AR so I could go to boot camp. Ugh, it was core, my abs are so mad at me!
 

Sunday, October 20-Rest day
 

Monday, October 21-Boot camp and ran a mile...couldn't find the groove this am!
 

Tuesday, October 22-Core workout at boot camp and then ran 2 miles in 23:46. I was really feeling it this am.
 

Wednesday, October 23-Leg workout at boot camp including wall sits-tough stuff! Only ran a mile.
 

Thursday, October 24-Arm boot camp then headed home to snuggle with AR.
 

Challenge: Do 50 fire hydrants every day on each leg. Get down on all fours and lift your leg like you're peeing on a fire hydrant. Trust me, you'll feel it the next day and the day after that and the day after that...

Crockpot Stuffed Shells...

...Each week, I plan dinner for every night. This helps us 1. save money and 2. not eat out so much. I also try to make one new meal, typically from my Get In My Belly board. This week I decided to try out Crockpot Stuffed Pasta Shells.

 

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of crockpot meals where you have to do a lot of prep work. I much prefer a crockpot meal where I just dump everything in the crockpot and 5-8 hours later dinner is done. I also prefer crockpot meals to be 8-10 hours because I'm a working mom & wife so a 4-6 hour meal doesn't work for us unless it's on the weekend.

 

I decided I'd split the work so the night before I did all the preparation. First, I browned the burger and cooked the shells. I got out the other ingredients as well: one egg, ricotta cheese, breadcrumbs and a jar of spaghetti sauce.

I mixed together the burger, ricotta, egg and breadcrumbs.

I poured the jar of sauce on the bottom of the crock then I started stuffing. Here are all the shells in the crockpot. I had a few shells leftover which I put in the fridge. I'm sure my daughter and I will have them for lunch the next couple of days.

After I stuffed the shells, I put the lid on and set the crockpot in the fridge until I was ready to cook them the next day.

The next day, I turned the crockpot on. Added the second bottle of spaghetti sauce and some Parmesan cheese and let the crockpot do it's magic! About 4.5 hours later, this is what I had:

I was so excited to eat dinner that we actually ate about 30 minutes early!

Here's AR tasting...

She likes it! Here she is clapping for mommy telling me, "good job!"

AR kept signing "more, more" and I couldn't get it on her plate fast enough. Matt went back for seconds...and thirds while I was licking my plate clean. It made a lot, as in we'll be eating it all weekend. This is definitely an easy and delicious recipe to make for when the whole family comes over! Happy crocking!

Updated: On Sunday, Matt went hunting. I started making AR's breakfast and noticed a big empty spot in the fridge, the crockpot with the leftovers was gone. I look in the dishwasher, not there. I text Matt. He had taken ALL of them with him to eat while hunting!!!

 

Ingredients

1 box of jumbo pasta shells

1 pound lean ground beef

1 clove garlic

1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 egg, beaten

2 jars meatless spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bunch of fresh basil

 

Directions

1. Cook pasta shells according to directions.

2. Brown the beef, garlic and parsley then drain.

3. Add ricotta, breadcrumbs and egg.

4. Pour 1 jar of sauce into crockpot.

5. Stuff shells and arrange them in sauce.

6. Top with other jar of sauce and Parmesan cheese.

7. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours.

8. Top with more Parmesan and fresh basil.

9. Serve with your choice of veggies and garlic bread.

10. Stop drooling and start enjoying this delicious meal!

The Great Pumpkin Festival...

...this past Sunday, AR and I had a busy day! We used our Groupon to the Transportation Museum in the morning and had a blast. Then we ran home for a quick lunch and nap. When she got up, we were out the door again to the Great Pumpkin Festival put on by and at Morning Star Church. I took AR last year at all of five months old. Here's a comparison pic...crazy, huh?

She's got a bit of a cold, same as last year, but we both still had a good time.

Everything is free and the event is ran so smoothly. I also love that MOPS is there to provide a tent, seriously a tent, for diaper changing and nursing. First stop was the pumpkin patch! Every family gets one free pumpkin. I tried to let AR pick her own but she was too interested in other kids and babies to stay focused on the pumpkins. She did like touching all the stems on each.and.every. one!

She must've been starving because she ate a piece and a half of pumpkin bread, my apples and hers plus half a hot dog! We tasted the chilis in the cook-off and we shared some of that. They also had pumpkin soup and funnel cake and marshmallow roasting area but we didn't taste any of that. We were messy enough with the bread and apples.

They had pumpkin decorating, gunny sack races, pony rides and inflatables. We mainly stuck to the games, hayride and petting zoo. Here's AR doing the ring toss.

This was Frisbee tic-tac-toe or throw the Frisbee to mommy. All the games had prizes for the kids but while I can, we skipped that part. She had a blast with the games that she didn't need the prizes and we don't need the clutter at home either!

We went on a hayride where we got a great view of the pumpkin chucking.

Our last stop was the petting zoo! We've seen this same petting zoo at least once a month for the past three months. Normally, AR loves the camel and baby cow but today she was acting scared of them. Instead, she was all about the baby goats!

It was another fun afternoon with my girl and gorgeous weather! Morning Star does an excellent job running this event. Even though there's HUNDREDS of people there, the parking is easy, lines aren't too long except for pony rides and inflatables but that's how it is at most events. They had lots of activities that both older and young kids like AR could do. Great job Morning Star!

AhaIshopping.com Giveaway!!!

...I found a new women's clothing store online, it's called AhaIshopping. Here is an intro from their website:

 

"AhaIshopping, a Korean & Street Style Women's Fashion Clothing Online Store offering women’s apparel, dresses, bags, shoes, jewelery, accessories, beauty products, etc. Special Offers Only $9.99 & Free shipping worldwide everyday.

 

AhaIshopping was founded in late 2011, and has already grown to one of the best women's fashion clothing online stores. We keep updating products at a high rate every day. Now we update more than 300 new products each week. Those products mentioned definitely belong to the latest fashion trend.

AhaIshopping's mission is to make you close to the planet's most cutting-edge fashion, no matter where you are or what class or age group you are in. Pursuing fashion is the right of every woman.

We are Free Shipping Worldwide with speed and precision and 30 Days Unconditional Return."

 

Also, they don't leave products on the "shelf" for long which ensures that you're one of the few with their trendy styles. Here is a look at some of the $9.99 products, I love the black dress! And free shipping? Well, it doesn't get better than that!

AhaIshopping has asked me to do a giveaway!  The Prize? Free clothes totally cost $30 as prizes if there are over 100 valid competitors in the giveaway campaign within 3 weeks and/or $15 bonus to winners if there are less than 100 valid competitors in the giveaway campaign within 3 weeks. Here is a link on how to use the  bonus.

 

1. Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ahaishopping21
2. Follow us on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ahaiclothes/
3. Repin your favorite pins in the 3 boards listed as bellow to your own pinterest board
http://www.pinterest.com/ahaiclothes/christmas-sweaters/
http://www.pinterest.com/ahaiclothes/ahai-coats/
http://www.pinterest.com/ahaiclothes/ahai-sweaters/
4. Find your favorite items from http://www.ahaishopping.com/ and pin to your pinterest board, the more the better.
After you do that, comment your Facebook Name, pinterest board and the favorite items' url links in a comment so that we know who participated and what you want to win.

AhaIshopping will choose two best pinners as the winners after 3 weeks, each winner will get the prize listed above with free shipping worldwide! Good luck!

AR's Homemade Christmas Presents...

...I have pinned so many things on my Baby G Board so I decided to make some time to get things done. There were so many projects to choose from and with the holidays coming up, I decided AR and I should get a head start on Christmas gifts. I found a few hand/footprint projects. First things first, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought 4 8x10 canvas for $8. I already had all the paint and brushes from other projects laying around the house.

 

The first was a "love" beach hand/footprint artwork

I painted the red, pink and brown the night before. Super easy! Then the next day after work, I took AR outside and painted her foot. She fought me the entire time and that's why the footprints on the V are both her left foot. Then we did her hand which she did better than I expected.

I did a quick L and E in lowercase cursive, wrote her initials and the year on the back and ta-da-done! Note to moms of toddlers: Strip your child down to do any type of painting if you don't want to get paint on their clothes. It was a bit chilly when we did so that's why my child is pantless but still wearing a jacket. She was asking me if I thought it looked alright. Of course it does, sweet AR!

Next up was the ballerina tutu. I free hand drew the top of the leotard with a pencil on the canvas. Then I started painting pink for the top. Yes, I'm using AR's art tray, notice the Sesame Street coloring book? I had to do quite a few coats of the pink after letting it completely dry.

As I stated above, my child isn't a fan of paint on her hands or feet but she was also feeling under the weather. Either way, footprints are much easier than handprints so I switched it up and made the tutu out of her footprints. I also decided to add a little more color by mixing in a few purple footprints. The purple one on the right got a little out of line, do you notice?

My husband helped out by making the bow. Look at how concentrated he is!

While he was making the bow, I sprinkled on some purple glitter. It came out VERY fast which is why there's so much. Then I sprayed hairspray over it. Once it dried, I outlined the top of the tutu in black Sharpie.

When the bow was finished, I hot glued a strip of ribbon across the waistband. Then I hot glued on the bow to cover up the purple footprint that got out of control.

 

And ta-da...our finished footprint tutu with a lot of purple glitter bling!

The last project we attempted was a handprint tree with fingerprints. First, I traced her hand then painted it brown. Then we dipped her fingers in red, yellow and green paint and made dots all around the tree. Our finished product!

These kind of projects are so easy but she hates it-lol! I hope it gets easier the older she gets.